A Marquette resident complete the journey to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain Thursday to honor those who died in the 9/11 terror attacks. (Journal photo by Antonio Anderson)

MARQUETTE — On Thursday, more than 50 people climbed Sugarloaf Mountain in memory of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The event was held by the Northern Michigan University chapter of Turning Point USA from 3-8 p.m. and saw attendees bring a flag to the top, or make seven trips to match the 110 stories firefighters made at the Twin Towers.

“Honestly me and my leadership team are like, ‘Lets do something for 9/11 here,'” NMU Turning Point USA President Evan Reister said. “We started brainstorming and what if we hiked up Sugarloaf. Then we started doing some research and it was 300 steps, three times seven is 2,100 … for the twin towers. So that is what we are out here doing.”

More than 50 people attended including NMU students, Marquette residents, high school kids, elementary school kids and tourists. One major attendee was state Rep. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton, who attended and carried a flag to the top with his wife.

“We have different colored wristbands that signify the trips people have made,” Reister said. “The leadership institute supplied us with the flags people are planting at the top. Its awesome, the community is coming out.”

Reister himself was among the many to journey to the top seven times, as did a few others. But for most of the attendees it put into perspective what emergency services went through during the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

“It’s just a patriotic thing to bring people together,” Reister said.

This event comes a day after Turning Point USA’s founder Charlie Kirk was killed, and the group wasn’t sure they were going to continue with the event when the news broke.

“A lot of dark news yesterday (Wednesday) right, there was a lot of debate if we even wanted to still do this event,” said Evan Reister, President of Turning Point USA @ NMU. “But it means a lot with all the people that fell that day and we just wanted to do something patriotic, not political but patriotic.”

Antonio Anderson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. His email address is aanderson@miningjournal.net.