Team RBNY-18 Raises More than $9K in 9/11 Stair Climb

By Katie McFadden
Twenty-four years may have passed, but Team RBNY-18 will never forget 9/11. On Sunday, October 19, for their tenth year, Rockaway’s team once again participated in the National Stair Climb, raising nearly $9,200 for the event.
Leaving from Rogers on Beach 116th Street, with transportation from Serenity Car Service, more than 30 locals, in matching t-shirts made by Belle Harbor Cards, went to Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan to climb 2,200 steps, symbolizing the 110 stories of the World Trade Center Towers, the same climb FDNY firefighters made on September 11, 2001, in which 343 firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice. In honor of that climb, each year the National Stair Climb is held to pay tribute to the fallen and to raise funds for those in the FDNY who continue to struggle.
Rockaway’s Team RBNY-18 honors the 18 first responders from the community who died that day. The locals carried photo IDs of those first responders as they made the climb.
Money raised goes toward the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support the families of local fallen firefighters and the FDNY Counseling Services Unit.
This year, Team RBNY-18 was able to raise, $9,182.64, making them once again, the top fundraising team for the whole event. The biggest individual fundraiser for Team RBNY-18 was Terrie Macklin, raising $2,061, making her the second highest individual fundraiser for the entire event. Behind her for Team RBNY-18 was retired firefighter John Burke, raising $1,290, and Rogers bartender Renee McKeown, raising $1,208.
After the climb, the crew headed back to Rogers to celebrate. “Thank you to all of our friends and neighbors who helped us raise an incredible $9,112+ for the cause!! Special thanks to our home base, Rogers Pub, for so generously hosting our team before and after the event. To Katie McFadden and The Rockaway Times for your coverage of this event. To Belle Harbor Cards for our team apparel. And to Anthony Choily at Serenity Car Service for always reliable transportation. Every great event takes a village, and there is no better village than ours. RBNY-18 will Never Forget,” team captain Jen Fabry said after the event.
Overall, nearly $66K was raised from Sunday’s climb among 13 teams and 315 participants. With next year being the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is hoping the National Stair Climb, which began in 2005 and spans more than 25 states, will be the biggest yet. For more information about the National Stair Climb, see: https://nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/nyc25