Proceeds From Race to Benefit the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Often, the shortest distances
are the most challenging to run. The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel stretches
slightly more than 1.7 miles in length - an easy distance for most runners -
but on the morning of September 11, 2001, firefighter Stephen Siller sprinted
that distance, with his gear strapped to his back, to help those in need at
the World Trade Center. It is believed that Stephen Siller attempted to meet
up with his fellow firefighters, the elite Squad Co. 1, at the Towers, but the
father of five never made it home that day.
On September 28, 2003, the Siller family will once again celebrate
Stephen's bravery, and the indomitable will of all the heroes who risked their
lives to save others on 9/11, by hosting the Second Annual Firefighter Stephen
Siller Towers to Tunnel Run. This 2.7-mile run/walk traces Stephen's path
from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to Ground Zero. Last year's race raised more
than $210,000. The Stephen Siller, FDNY, "Let Us Do Good" Children's
Foundation distributed this money to children who lost one or more parents, to
the NYC Firefighters Burn Center and to The New York Foundling. Proceeds from
this year's run will again benefit those charities, as well as a new
beneficiary, The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, which has been created in
recognition of the military heroism in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Said Russell
Siller, the co-chairman of the run: "The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund
honors the bravery and dedication exhibited by those brave Americans in our
armed forces who have sacrificed their lives. By providing educational
scholarships to their children, our organization honors our brother's memory,
and pays tribute to all American heroes, including all those who died on 9/11,
and those in the U.S. military who are still dying in their honor every day."
The Tunnel to Towers Run will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September
28. The 2.7-mile run/walk will retrace Stephen's footsteps from the Brooklyn
Battery Tunnel, up West Street to Liberty Street, then onto the World
Financial Center and finally to Vesey Street, at the World Trade Center.
Registration is $30 per participant before September 19, and $40 after this
date. Runners and walkers are welcome to take part. All those interested in
participating are encouraged to register early.
About Stephen Siller ...
On the morning of September 11, Stephen was off-duty, having just finished
an overnight shift, and was headed back to Staten Island to go home to his
wife and five children and then to meet his older brothers for a round of
golf. After that, it was anyone's guess how Stephen would spend his day:
there would definitely be playtime with his five children, time spent with his
wife, work done around the house, conversations with most (if not all) of his
neighbors - perhaps he'd even invite everyone he met that day over for a
barbeque ... all of which was par for the course for Stephen.
Instead, he picked up news on his scanner about the attack on the World
Trade Center. He immediately turned his vehicle around, and headed towards
the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. When he found that traffic was not being
permitted to enter the tunnel, he strapped his gear to his back, and sprinted
along the catwalk towards Manhattan. At the end of the tunnel, Stephen was
picked up by a fire crew, and transported to West Street and Liberty, near
Ground Zero. His family believes that he attempted to meet up with his Squad
Co. 1 and raced into the Towers to do what he did best: save lives and comfort
survivors. Neither Stephen nor any of his Squad 1 mates survived.
Stephen still lives in the hearts of the Siller family, and for all those
whose lives he touched. His is a legacy of bravery, compassion and goodwill
that the Siller family wants to see live on. "We kept asking ourselves how we
could properly memorialize him," said Russell Siller, Stephen's oldest
brother. "A dinner, a golf outing - none of the options seemed suitable,"
continued Russell Siller. "Then a friend of Stephen's suggested we hold a run
through the Battery Tunnel in his honor, and in memory of all those heroes who
displayed such bravery on September 11. Because this idea was a perfect
reflection of what Stephen himself would have done, we knew right away that it
was a homerun. All the pieces fell immediately into place, and what better
site than the Battery Tunnel, where Stephen made his own heroic run."
The entire Siller family, including all six siblings, Russell, Frank,
George, Mary, Regina and Janis, Stephen's wife Sally, and numerous relatives,
close friends and volunteers have dedicated their hearts and souls into the
planning of the race. "We've been touched by the kindness of friends and
strangers," said Russell, "who are helping us along the way, offering us
untold amounts of emotional and financial support as we prepare for the run."
The Siller family plans to have this year's run proceeds benefit the Stephen
Siller, FDNY, "Let Us Do Good" Children's Foundation, a charity the Siller
family created to benefit children who have lost one or both parents or have
other special needs. The Stephen Siller Children's Foundation will donate
funds to the NYC Firefighter Burn Center's Pediatric Unit, the New York
Foundling and The Freedom Alliance.
The $210,000 raised at last year's race was distributed to a number of
different causes, including the Stephen Siller, FDNY "Let Us Do Good"
Children's Foundation's On the Wings of a Hero Legacy and Memorial Awards for
children who have lost one or more parents and a program to outfit local
community schools with defibrillators, a life-saving tool often used by
firefighters. The Stephen Siller, FDNY "Let Us Do Good" Children's Foundation
also donated to The NYC Firefighter Burn Center and The New York Foundling
Hospital.
For more information about Stephen Siller and the Tunnel to Towers Run,
please visit http://www.tunneltotowersrun.org.
SOURCE Stephen Siller, FDNY, "Let Us Do Good" Children's
Foundation; The
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Related links:
http://www.tunneltotowersrun.org
CONTACT:
Liz Elman, eelman@tbc.us or Pam Jaffee,
pjaffee@tbc.us, both of TBC Public Relations, +1-646-366-1470,
for Stephen Siller, FDNY, "Let Us Do Good" Children's Foundation
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