(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Wednesday marks 23 years since the devastating terror attacks on the United States in 2001, and numerous events are planned across Southern Colorado to honor and remember the lives lost.

Colorado Springs

The City of Colorado Springs will host the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony on Sept. 11 in Memorial Park. The event’s keynote speaker will be Mike Gould, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General and former superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). The event starts at 10 a.m. at the Peace Officers’ Memorial in Memorial Park.

U.S. Air Force Academy

The U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Wing will gather on Wednesday near the Academy’s 9/11 Memorial in honor of lives lost in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The annual ceremony includes an invocation, opening remarks, placement of memorial wreaths, and the sounding of Taps.

Following the ceremony, cadets will initiate a 19-hour memorial run that includes a baton and firefighter’s helmet. They will continue the run through 11:30 a.m. Thursday, passing the baton and helmet after circling the terrazzo for 15 minutes each.

Manitou Springs

In a somber yearly tradition, firefighters and first responders will hike the Manitou Springs Incline in full gear to honor the brave men and women who rushed to save lives following the attacks on 9/11/2001. First responders will gather at the base of the Incline at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, and begin the climb following words of remembrance.

The hike up the Incline symbolizes the final climb that many first responders selflessly made up the steps of the Twin Towers, as they tried to save as many lives as possible. The climb up the Incline will pause at key times for a moment of silence and remembrance: when the first plane hit the North Tower, the second plane hit the South Tower, when Flight 77 hit the Pentagon, when the South Tower collapsed, when Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, PA, and when the North Tower collapsed.

Pueblo

The Steel City will hold its annual Patriot Day remembrance ceremony at the World Trade Center Steel Memorial Site in the Center for American Values Plaza. Attendees can take part in a “Walk in Silence” and witness the Memorial Stair Climb by the PCC Fire Science Club.

Guests are encouraged to arrive around 7:40 a.m. to find a spot across the Riverwalk from the Center for American Values, at 101 South Main Street. The memorial event begins promptly at 7:58 a.m.