9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Day of Remembrance, Presented by Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
On a September morning, the steps of Nathan Benderson Park’s Finish Tower will become more than a route to the top.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
On a September morning, the steps of Nathan Benderson Park’s Finish Tower will become more than a route to the top. They will become a place of memory—each ascent a quiet act of gratitude, each landing an opportunity to remember the lives changed forever on September 11, 2001.
The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Day of Remembrance, presented by Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, arrives in Sarasota-Manatee on the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The inaugural gathering invites local first responders, active military, families, and community members to walk, climb, or run the six flights of stairs on both sides of the Finish Tower. Participants may pursue the full equivalent of the 110 stories climbed by firefighters at the World Trade Center, or move at a more reflective pace, completing only what feels meaningful.
That flexibility is part of the event’s purpose. A stair climb can be physically demanding, but it is also a communal ritual—one that gives people a tangible way to honor the 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and other first responders who died that day, along with the thousands of civilians whose lives were lost. In a region with deep ties to public safety, military service, and volunteerism, the morning offers Sarasota a shared language of remembrance without requiring a single way to participate.
The setting lends the observance a particular resonance. Nathan Benderson Park has become one of the area’s most recognizable gathering places, a venue associated with competition, recreation, and the energy of large public events. On this occasion, the Finish Tower’s staircases will shift from a backdrop for athletic achievement to a setting for reflection and solidarity.
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s role also places health and well-being near the center of the day. The medical center recently announced an affiliation with Talkspace, expanding access to virtual therapy, psychiatry, and medication management. While the stair climb is rooted in remembrance, its broader invitation—to gather, move, and support one another—acknowledges the continuing importance of emotional care alongside physical health.
The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Day of Remembrance takes place Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Finish Tower at Nathan Benderson Park. Whether participants arrive prepared to complete the full challenge or simply to take a few solemn steps, the morning will give the community a way to remember together.