KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – More than 100 first responders and veterans climbed 2,200 stairs at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, taking part in the Royals’ fourth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Some climbers wore their uniforms. Others carried photographs of people they lost. Organizers said the goal was to make sure the day is not forgotten.
Coach cites family firefighting ties
Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney took part in the climb. Sweeney is a volunteer firefighter in the offseason. His father, Ed Sweeney, spent 35 years as a firefighter in Yonkers, New York.
“I think it’s really important that we never forget what happened 25 years ago,” Sweeney said. “You know, it was a really sad day, but there were so many brave efforts by first responders, our military, and just citizens of our country. And I think, you know, if we can climb some steps to honor them, I think it’s really important.”
Sweeney said the event carries an emotional weight beyond exercise.
“When you hear the music that’s going on, you look at the pictures, you see the people that come out. It really is emotional,” Sweeney said. “And, you know, it’s not, you can use it as exercise, you can use it as training. But really, it’s just us honoring the fall. If you climb one flight, if you climb one step, right, we’re remembering that day, that tragic day. But out of those ashes came a lot of really good things.”
Event ties in suicide prevention awareness
The stair climb has become an annual event for the Royals, according to Tanya Draper-Douthit, the team’s vice president of community impact. The event falls under the organization’s community impact pillar focused on military, veterans and first responders.
This year’s climb also tied in with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which is observed in September.
“So September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month,” Draper-Douthit said. “And so we wanted to make the tie-in between first responders, military and veteran community, and mental health and well-being.”
Draper-Douthit said the Kansas City Royals Foundation partners with organizations that serve veterans and first responders, providing financial and in-kind support. One of those partners focuses specifically on mental health and well-being for that community.
The Battle Within, an organization supporting veterans and first responders, was among the groups represented at the event. Michele Orpin, the organization’s director of development and engagement, described the group’s programs.
“We have trauma-informed workshops where we can go into a police department, a fire department, or even a company that’s experienced trauma and talk about different ways and different tools that they can use to help relieve that PTSD or stress from that trauma,” Orpin said.
Orpin said The Battle Within also offers a service dog training program called Dogs for Valor, a five-day intensive clinical therapy program, and one-on-one therapy for veterans and first responders.
“We must all take just one step at a time to help with mental health and to understand what the struggles that these first responders and veterans are going through,” Orpin said.
The Royals said their work supporting veterans and first responders continues year-round. More information is available at thebattlewithin.org.
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