CTE Gives Back! December 2022

TUNNEL TO TOWERS

            It’s often been said that behind so many good things in life, there’s a story to tell.  And as 2022 winds up, as the days and hours left in the year dwindle so quickly, perhaps a most fitting story with which to close our year is that of Firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, the young man whose legacy is indeed the base and keystone of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) founded in 2001.

The backstory on Stephen is that this youngest of seven children, who was orphaned at the age of nine and reared by his older siblings, grew up with the guiding philosophy of St. Francis of Assisi - “while we have time, let us do good”.   Little time did this man have on earth – 34 years to be precise.  Stephen, a father of five with a loving wife and a devoted extended family, was a firefighter with Brooklyn’s Squad 1 on September 11, 2011.  It was on that day when Stephen drove his truck to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel only to find the entrance closed for security reasons.  So, with 60 lbs. of gear on his back and an unstoppable attitude, he raced through the tunnel to the Twin Towers only to end up giving up his own life while saving others.

Honoring the sacrifice of Firefighter Siller coupled with honoring our military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice for our country comprises the mission of the Foundation.  Every year the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has earned the highest Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, directing 95% of every dollar donated to its programs.

Some of the highlights and impacts realized from the donations received for this Foundation are as follows:

• $500+ million has been raised in support of our firefighters and military and their families.
• More than 600 mortgage free homes have been delivered or are in progress for our most catastrophically injured first responders and veterans, each customized to meet the unique needs of the recipient.  The goal in 2023 is to provide housing and services to 1,500 – 2,000 veterans and first responders.
• The Foundation’s Walk, Run and Climb Series has included over 80 events with 500+ participants.
• The Foundation’s 911 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit has educated over 600,000 about the events of that tragic day in our country’s history.

As we prepare to turn the calendar from 2022, it is a great pleasure to be making our December CTE Gives Back! charity donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.  Perhaps in doing so we at Cable Tie Express are living a bit of that philosophy that guided the man behind this Foundation – “while we have time, let us do good”. 

To learn more about Tunnel to Towers or to find how you might become involved, please check out its website t2t.org.