Story and photos by Patrick Olivero
MIDDLETOWN – Step by step, floor by floor, local first responders carried the weight of memory, sacrifice and service during the Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens First Responders Stair Climb fundraiser.
The event took place Saturday at Life Time, a health club and gym on Half Mile Road, bringing together firefighters, police officers, EMTs and community members in a symbolic challenge – climbing 110 floors on stair machines to represent the ascent first responders made inside the World Trade Center towers Sept. 11, 2001. Every 30 minutes, nine participants took their turns, some dressed in full turnout gear weighing nearly 70 pounds.
By the end of the day, the climb had raised $14,000 of the $25,000 goal for the Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens Fund, a nonprofit that ensures the memorial in Middletown – built to honor the 37 township residents who died on 9/11 – remains a place of reflection and remembrance for generations to come. The gardens also recognize the first responders and others who gave their lives in the aftermath of the attacks. The idea for the stair climb began with James Hemphill, a Hazlet volunteer firefighter and facility operations supervisor at Life Time. Hemphill had been doing stair climbs on his own for years but felt the Life Time location could become a place to expand the tradition into a community fundraiser.
“I started working here at Life Time when they opened, and I did it here,” Hemphill said. “It just became relevant to me that this is a great place to start a fundraiser and give back, bringing the gym, the first responders and the community together.”
Hemphill worked with Middletown’s fire chiefs, members of the WTC Memorial Gardens committee and Life Time leadership to make the event possible. The gym’s general manager, Alex Armiento, praised Hemphill’s vision.
“Jimmy came to me with this idea, wanting to make an impact on the community,” said Armiento, who is originally from New York. “My main goal was to honor those that lost their lives that day and to really make an impact on the community. That’s something we’re really passionate about here at Life Time.”
Local leaders and officials, including county commissioner Director Thomas Arnone, commissioner Erik Anderson, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, Middletown Mayor Tony Perry, Middletown Deputy Mayor Rick Hibell, committee member Ryan Clarke and Middletown Police Chief R. Craig Weber, joined firefighters led by Chief Anthony Fulciniti and Deputy Chief Daniel P. Kelly and other first responders to make the climb.
For many participants, the challenge was both physical and deeply emotional. Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Morrissey of the Middletown Fire Department, who also serves on New Jersey Task Force One, recalled his deployment to Ground Zero the afternoon of Sept. 11. He and his team worked for 11 straight days. “It was surreal,” Morris said. “You go to a city – it’s loud, it’s boisterous, it’s fun. But that day, it was absolutely quiet. The most quiet I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Morris said events like the stair climb help ensure the memory of 9/11 is not confined to history books. “It’s to remember all the fellow first responders that passed, but also to remember those that are still fighting from their service that day,” he said.
Climbers at Life Time said the repetition of each step – floor after floor – served as a powerful reminder of the courage and grit of the firefighters, police officers and EMS workers who made the ascent inside the towers. “When you’re pushing through, you really try to think about that day and what those people were going through,” said Armiento, who also completed the full climb. “It gives me a different level of appreciation for what they do every single day. I think just being grateful is the word that I would use.”
Morris reflected on what he witnessed the day after the attacks. “That was the day when you realized how strong our country was,” he said. “When we would go back and forth to the site, people would just shake our hands, say thank you, give us bottles of water. There were no differences.”
As firefighters climbed in their heavy gear, sweat pouring down, the physical weight was a stark reminder of the burden carried by those who ascended the towers 24 years ago. The fundraiser also served as a beacon of hope, reinforcing the mission of the Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens to preserve memory, honor sacrifice and inspire unity.
Hemphill said the $14,000 raised so far is just the beginning. With additional donations expected, organizers are hopeful they’ll reach their $25,000 goal.
“This was about more than just a fundraiser,” Hemphill said. “It was about bringing everyone together – first responders, community members and families – to remember and to honor.”
For those who climbed, and those who stood in support, the event underscored a simple truth: While time passes, memory endures.
The article originally appeared in the September 11 – September 17, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
