5k Walk/Run to Remember 9/11 Heroes and Victims
When Stephen Siller got off his shift at Squad 1 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, on Sept. 11, 2001, he could not have imagined the tragic events that changed the New York City landscape and countless American lives forever.
On his way to play golf with his brothers on that bright, clear day, news of the first plane hitting one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center echoed from his radio scanner. As he approached the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, he realized it was already closed to traffic. Unfazed, he strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and sprinted straight through the tunnel and into the World Trade Center, where he gave his life in the line of duty.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the legacy of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who gave his life in the line of duty on 9/11. The 5th annual Tunnel to Towers Savannah 5K Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2016 downtown at Orleans Square and ensures that this patriotic hero will never be forgotten. In duplicating his path, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run participants not only honor Siller’s heroic efforts, but remember his 342 firefighter brothers and all those who perished on 9/11. This year will be the 15th anniversary of 9/11.
Money raised from the Tunnel to Towers Savannah 5K will benefit the foundation’s programs including Building for America’s Bravest, which constructs specially adapted Smart Homes for our nation’s most catastrophically injured service members. A portion of the proceeds raised in Savannah will help the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire.
“The Savannah Tunnel to Towers is a great patriotic event bringing our Community together to honor those who have given their lives in the Service of others. And to thank those who continue to serve and protect our lives,” said honorary chairman Dick Eckburg.
The foundation is ranked a 4-Star Charity, the highest number of stars given by Charity Navigator, which is the largest and most-utilized charity rating service. Charity Navigator’s rating system examines two broad areas of a charity’s performance: its Financial Health and its Accountability & Transparency. The ratings show givers how efficiently Charity Navigator believes a charity will use their support.
In 2015, the Savannah race had 1300 registrants. Hundreds of children and parents served as volunteers representing Team 343. They lined Forsyth Park during the run, holding photos of the firefighters who died on 9/11. Public service industry workers, corporate teams and the public are encouraged to register for this patriotic event. Tunnel to Towers Run Savannah will also feature The Siller Cup Firefighter Challenge. Teams of four firefighters or more from across the nation can compete in Savannah to take home a traveling trophy and have the opportunity to defend their title in 2017.
Register in advance online at www.t2trun.org or in person at Fleet Feet Sports, located at 3405 Waters Avenue in Savannah.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/T2TSavannah .
