They may not be words you particularly expect to see in the opening of an article in The Watercraft Journal, the phrase “They started climbing and just kept going,” even out of context, still will resonate with many.
F.D.N.Y Firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller was one of those whom that phrase honors.
On September 11 2001, Siller was off duty and on his way to play golf with his brother when he heard the news of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center over his scanner. Immediately abandoning his plans, he drove to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, which was closed for security purposes and, as a result, strapped 60 pounds of equipment on his back and ran on foot to the Twin Towers to assist his emergency services colleagues.
Stephen made the ultimate sacrifice and tragically lost his life during the events of that day.
As a result of his heroics and admirable bravery, his family established The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which honours the sacrifice Stephen made and also military personnel, emergency services and first responders. A run/walk is now held annually in New York to honor the final steps that Stephen took and is widely recognized as one of the top 5k runs in America.
From that event, dozens upon dozens of T2T events have evolved around the country and even internationally, with funds raised going to support a slate of T2T programs such as the Smart Homes Program, Fallen First Responder Home Program, Gold Star Family Home Program, the Homeless Veteran Program, the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Institute, and the Footsteps to the Future Endowment.
Many of the events are walks and runs, some are tower climbs, several golf tournaments have joined the effort, and on July 19 and July 20, Cycle Springs PowerSports, along with SandShark Anchors, bring the PWC family into the mix with the T2T Ride Along.
The event starts with a Meet & Greet from 6:30–9:30 p.m. at Cycle Springs PowerSports, 29703 US-19, Clearwater, Florida, where you can connect with fellow water enthusiasts and learn more about the impact you can make by participating. The Ride Along sets out at 9:30 a.m. from Fort De Soto on July 20. A 50/50 raffle winner will split the pot, taking home half of the raffle entries while the rest go to support Tunnel to Towers. Tickets can be purchased on-site, but can also be purchased online.
