What’s a burpee?

Glad you asked. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a burpee “as a conditioning exercise in which a person squats, places the palms of the hands on the floor in front of the feet, jumps back into a push-up position, in some cases completes one push-up, returns to the squat position, and then jumps up into the air while extending the arms overhead.”

They’re taxing, to say the least.

And, that’s why Chukchansi Park turned into a field of sweat, sacrifice, and remembrance on Wednesday morning.

This annual event, led by the Fresno Fire Department, is a hard-hitting tribute to the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. What started back in 2002 as a small way for firefighters to honor their fallen brothers has grown into a community-wide event, drawing people together for one purpose: to never forget.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Fire Capt. Joella Garcia, who’s been part of the event since its early days, spoke about the importance of getting young people involved.

“We’re really trying to push the message to the youth… They weren’t around to remember it, so it’s up to us to keep this going and turn something painful into something positive.”

Among the many young faces was David Akintola, a senior at Hoover High School.

“These firefighters are people that inspired the younger generation to do better and be better,” he said after finishing the challenge. ” Thought I was gonna stop at 200, but then I saw it… I was like hey, what’s 100 more?”