CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Two Cleveland Firefighters are honoring the 343 firefighters killed in 9/11 step-by-step.
"I feel honor in my job, I feel pride," said Logan Helton with the Cleveland Fire Department. "Which means more to me than money or anything like that."
Every day, Logan Helton and Clay Sneed grab their 45 lb. gear, strap it on, and head to the Cleveland Fire Department.
But for the start of September, they're taking their gear somewhere else.
"I want to make sure I remember not only these guys but every firefighter that has sacrificed something to save someone," said Helton.
Helton and Sneed are remembering the 343 firefighters who died during 9/11. It's a time they said they barely remember.
"I was four, so I was in Kindergarten," said Sneed.
"I was six-years-old, so I guess that'd be first grade.," said Helton.
Although it's hard to remember, it's a day they want to make sure they never forget.
"We are brothers with the people that died that day," said Sneed.
To do that, they're climbing 110 flights every day for 20 days before 9/11. Those 110 flights are equivalent to what firefighters climbed during 9/11.
"We are climbing for a person every day," said Sneed. "We've picked 20 people out of the 343 firemen and are kind of spotlighting them."
As they take step after step, they are also hoping to raise money to support the families of fallen firefighters across the country.
"I want to make sure I remember not only these guys but every firefighter that has sacrificed something to save someone," said Helton.
They both said they hope this inspires others to never forget 9/11 and consider becoming a firefighter, a job they both say they wouldn't trade for anything.
"It was just Americans helping Americans," said Sneed.
"I would hope that if I ever had kids, they would want to be firefighters," added Helton.
Sneed said even after these 20 days pass, they will continue to honor these 343 firefighters every day, no matter where they go.
"And so we take them with us on every fire, every wreck, everywhere we go, that 343 is with us," said Sneed.
Sneed and Helton are using their climb to collect donations for the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation.
You can sponsor their climb or donate to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.