Community Corner
Tunnel To Towers 9/11 Walk Passes Through Long Valley
The Tunnel To Towers Foundation was created in memory of Firefighter Stephen Siller who ran to the Towers through Brooklyn's Battery Tunnel.
LONG VALLEY, NJ — In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation “Never Forget Walk” made its way through Long Valley as part of its route.
Washington Township Mayor Matt Murello greeted Frank Siller - the organization’s founder - who walked into Long Valley on Friday as part of his 500-mile trek through six states, which started at the Arlington Fire Station 5 near Washington D.C. and will conclude at Ground Zero.
Siller founded Tunnel to Towers in memory of his those lost that day including his brother, Firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, who on Sept. 11, 2001 as he was finishing his shift with Brooklyn Squad 1 and planned to head out for a game of golf with his brothers, instead headed back to the station for his gear when he learned that a plane careened into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
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When the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was closed, Siller instead grabbed 60 pounds of fire gear and ran toward the scene through the tunnel.
Murello and members of the Washington Township Police Department met up with Frank Siller at Long Valley’s Cobblestone Fields, taking time to pose for photos together.
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Murello, who called Siller “an amazing man,” asked that residents consider learning more about Tunnel to Towers and the work it does to assist veterans and first responders.
The non-profit foundation fundraises for several programs, including its “Smart Home Program,” which constructs mortgage-free homes for injured first-responders and veterans. There’s also the “Fallen First Responder Home Program,” that helps to pay off mortgages for families who lost their loved ones in the line of duty. “The Gold Star Family Home Program” is another one, that gives mortgage-free homes to spouses of those who died in their military service, who have small children.
This coming Sunday, Siller is expected to head to Morristown for the Tunnel to Towers “Never Forget” parade, which starts at 11 a.m. in Morristown’s Green and winds down with a barbecue.
Visit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation for complete information about the foundation and upcoming events at www.t2t.org.
RELATED: Tunnel To Towers 'Never Forget' Walk Coming To Morristown
Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.
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