Texas Communities Mark 9/11 Anniversary With $56,000 for Heroes

At Pecan Square in Northlake, residents and emergency personnel gathered in a 22,000-square-foot arena to complete a memorial stair climb. The group scaled a combined 5,850 floors on stair climbers, matching the equivalent of 53 ascents of the World Trade Center. This effort secured more than $16,000 for Building Homes for Heroes, an organization dedicated to modifying residences for injured veterans and first responders.

Simultaneously, at The Austonian in downtown Austin, more than 250 residents and guests took to the tower's stairwells. Participants climbed 110 flights each, a symbolic tribute to the responders who ascended the Twin Towers in 2001. This initiative generated over $40,000 for the 100 Club of Central Texas, which provides financial assistance to the families of fallen or seriously injured public safety officers. Among the climbers were Jose Depaz and Valentina Baez, members of the building's facilities team who also serve in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Katie Ward, president of the west region at FirstService Residential, noted that the events served to bridge the gap between remembrance and tangible support. According to Susan Ward-Freeman, president of the company's high-rise division, the initiative succeeded in fostering connection among neighbors who might otherwise remain strangers, grounding the anniversary in a shared commitment to local heroes.