Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation

I was working at a small discount store in Connecticut when I heard the news. A customer came in and told us that a plane just hit the World Trade Center. At the time, we didn’t have smartphones, so we couldn’t fact check this man’s claim. My coworkers and I were skeptical. We’ve had people come in before, telling us outrageous things.

Unfortunately, the man wasn’t making up stories. The attack really happened, and it changed the world forever.

There is nothing special about my “Where I was for 9/11” Story. I didn’t know anyone in that Towers, or in the Pentagon. I didn’t know anyone on the planes.

Stephen Siller, however, had a more important story. According to the Tunnel to Towers website, Stephen was a firefighter assigned to Brooklyn Squad 1, on September 11, 2001. He had finished his shift, and was going to play golf with his brothers. But, he heard on his scanner that a plane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. When he heard the news, he called his wife, Sally, asking her to tell his brothers that he would catch up with them later. He went back to get his gear.

Stephen didn’t let the closed Brooklyn Battery Tunnel stop him. Leaving his truck at the tunnel entrance, he strapped his gear to his back—60 pounds of it—and ran through the tunnel and to the Twin Towers. Sadly, he did not make it back. Stephen Siller sacrificed his life to save the lives of others.

I reached out to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to learn more about the organization. Trevor Tamsen was happy to answer my questions.

Tunnel to Towers was founded in 2001, following the attacks. Donations support injured veterans, families of fallen first responders, and Gold Star families. They’re a four-star rated charity, and 93 cents out of every dollar goes directly to their programs.

In his email, Trevor gave me the following information about the programs the foundation provides:

SMART HOME PROGRAM

Through the Smart Home Program, the Foundation builds smart homes that enable our most catastrophically injured veterans to live more independent lives. To date, the Foundation has delivered, started construction or is in the design stage of a total of 75 homes.

Tunnel to Towers has committed to building a minimum of 200 smart homes for severely injured service members.

FALLEN FIRST RESPONDER HOME PROGRAM

Our Fallen First Responder Home Program pays off the mortgages for the families left behind when a firefighter or police officer is killed under extraordinary circumstances in the line of duty.

Since 2015, the Foundation has ensured that countless first responder families with young children have the security and stability of a mortgage-free home.

GOLD STAR FAMILY HOME PROGRAM

Our newest program, the Gold Star Family Home Program, honors the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. The Foundation will provide mortgage-free homes to surviving spouses with young children. Launched in September 2018, we have already delivered more than a dozen Gold Star homes.

The Foundation is committed to raising $250 million to provide 1,000 homes to Gold Star families.

Tunnel to Towers holds a few different fundraisers a year. But, according to Trevor, the most “iconic” is the Tunnel to Towers 5k Run & Walk. It started in 2002 with 1,500 people. Now, it’s considered by many to be one of the top runs in America. The course retraces Stephen Siller’s final steps on 9/11. It goes from the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (formerly known as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) to the Twin Towers.

Side note:  This was the organization that I made my March, 2019 Spread Love donation to. I learned about the Foundation in February. I’m a big fan on the television show “Impractical Jokers.” In February, I went on their cruise. I was picked for their Q & A event. I asked the guys which charities that they support. Q (Brian Quinn) said Tunnel to Towers. Because his birthday is in March, I chose that month to make my donation to his charity of choice.

For more information about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, please visit:

Tunnel to Towers