Hundreds gather in Colorado Springs for Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial
Stella Girkins
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Hundreds of families are in Colorado Springs this weekend for the annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial ceremony, honoring those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Families from across the United States and Canada travel to the city each September for the solemn event, hosted by the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The organization personally welcomes the families of each firefighter honored during the ceremony.
This year, 311 names will be added to the granite walls of the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Memorial Park, bringing the total number honored to more than 9,000 since the site was recommissioned and expanded in the late 1980s.
“One thing we want to make sure is that our families know that the sacrifice that’s made by our brothers and sisters is also endured by their families, and we want those families to know how special they are to the rest of us,” Edward Kelly, IAFF President, told KRDO13.
In addition to the families in attendance, thousands more are expected to gather in Colorado Springs to pay their respects.
One person in the crowd this weekend is making her 14th trip to Colorado Springs for the memorial. Kristen Pascall first came to Colorado Springs in 2011 when her husband, Richard Pascall, was added to the memorial.
Now she makes the trip back every year.
“This is where I feel the closest to my husband. So I get to come see him every year. I bring him a white rose and a sunflower. Those were our wedding flowers, and they’re over on the wall right now. And I kiss the wall, and my lips are on that wall for 365 days until they wipe it off before the next ceremony.”
The weekend of remembrance includes a bagpipe and drum band parade on Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs, beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The main memorial ceremony will take place Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in Memorial Park. The event is open to the public.