<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail-article_head0" style="margin:0.4em 0px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Georgia;font-size:16px"><p class="gmail-uptitle" style="margin:0px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1.2em;line-height:1.1em"><span class="gmail-Fid_31" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">9/11</span> <span class="gmail-Fid_31" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">ANNIVERSARY</span></p><p class="gmail-maintitle" style="margin:0px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1.6em;color:rgb(154,61,61);line-height:1.1em"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal;font-weight:bold">They’ll be taking steps in tribute</span></p></div><div class="gmail-article_body0" style="margin:10px 0px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif,Georgia;font-size:16px"><div class="gmail-first gmail-column" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;width:403.991px;float:left"><div class="gmail-div_padding0" style="margin:0px;padding:3px"><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_35" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">By TIM MITCHELL</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_36" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal"><a target="_blank" href="mailto:tmitchel@news-gazette.com" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(0,0,255)">tmitchel@news-gazette.com</a></span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">CHAMPAIGN — ROTC students at the University of Illinois will join first responders and law enforcement in climbing the Memorial Stadium stairs Wednesday morning to mark the deadliest terrorist attack in history.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">Wednesday marks the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, an event where nearly 3,000 lives were lost at the World Trade Center and Pentagon.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">“We are doing this as a way to spread awareness and let people know we will never forget,” said Midshipman Dylan Neil Lim.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">Members of the Naval, Army, Air Force and Marine Corps ROTC units will gather at the stadium at 5:30 a.m. for muster. They’ll be joined there by police, firefighters and FBI representatives.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">At 6, they’ll begin climbing</span></p></div></div><div class="gmail-last gmail-column" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;width:403.991px;float:left"><div class="gmail-div_padding0 gmail-split" style="margin:0px;padding:3px"><p class="gmail-abody gmail-split" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37 gmail-split" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">— 1,980 steps up, 1,980 steps down.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">“The event is a way to honor and remember the firefighters who selflessly climbed the 1,980 steps of the twin towers, as well as all others who perished on 9/11,” Lim said.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">Among other area 9/11-themed events:</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_40" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">➜</span><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal"> An 8:46 a.m. Wednesday ceremony at West Side Park will feature speakers, a Champaign Fire Department bell ceremony and a Champaign Police Department firing detail.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_40" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">➜</span><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal"> Urbana city employees, firefighters, police officers and first responders will gather outside the city building at 7:30 a.m., with a moment of silence observed at 7:46 a.m.</span></p><p class="gmail-abody" style="margin:10px 15px 0px 0px;padding:0px 10px;font-size:1em;line-height:normal"><span class="gmail-Fid_40" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal">➜</span><span class="gmail-Fid_37" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:normal"> The I & I Firefighters Association 9-11 Memorial Ride will leave Danville’s Village Mall at 10 a.m. Sunday and travel through several area towns.</span></p></div></div></div></div>