This September 11, if you're so inclined, you can climb the long and winding staircase of a virtual World Trade Center in Second Life, that's been created as a way to honor the firefighters who lost their lives 11 years ago after plunging upward into the burning twin towers to save who they could. It's part of the 9/11 Firefighter's Stairclimb Tribute, which is an SL version of a tribute and fundraiser that's happening in the real world, and which you can read about here. Notably, it was created by Aero Pines Park Fire Dept, an SL-based group of real life firefighters (active, retired, students, and EMTs), who "recreate this event yearly in Second Life and open it to the public for participation."
When I visited this morning, many avatars were milling at the entrance to the towers, while some were making their way upward. (Some even took the time to dress up in fireman's uniforms, as you can see.) The tower is semi-translucent, so you can see your surroundings as you climb, which is quite different from how it was 11 years ago, when the stairwell was darkened and choked with smoke, but here, making the climb is the point. But as I made the climb, I looked up, and saw the avatar in the firefighter uniform above me, and managed to take this striking image below:
Last year a music video was made to memorialize the climb, which will give you some sense of the experience, and you can see below:
If you know of other SL-based tributes to the fallen of 9/11, please post in Comments.
Just à spécial thought to heroes who go in hell to help... Thank you ...
Posted by: samlowry hawks | Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 12:24 PM