Nearly 40,000 people participated in the 24th annual “5K Run and Walk” organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to commemorate the victims of 9/11. The event has grown from 1,500 participants in 2002 to one of the largest 5K runs in the country. Participants followed the route taken by FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, from the Battery Tunnel to the former site of the Twin Towers, according to Eyewitness News.
Many participants take part in remembrance. Stephen Siller carried 60 pounds of gear during his final run. For the Siller family, the event continues to recognize his actions. Stephen Siller Jr. told Eyewitness News, "I feel like I hit the lottery in terms of a dad." The event also recognizes more than 340 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers, and thousands of civilians who died on September 11. Funds raised go toward Tunnel to Towers Foundation programs that support injured first responders and service members.
The commitment to “NEVER FORGET” is reflected in the involvement of international participants, including more than 50 French firefighters who joined this year’s event. Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, highlighted the role of the global community in honoring those who died, according to The New York Post.
This year’s event has raised over $2.4 million from individual and corporate donors, with fundraising efforts still ongoing. One notable example is Keegan Muldowney and his team, the Muldowney Moondogs, who raised $135,000 in memory of Muldowney’s cousin, a fallen FDNY firefighter. In a statement obtained by The New York Post, Muldowney noted how quickly supporters came together to contribute to the cause, "There’s no selling, there’s no pitching. Everybody that we talked to wants to contribute to the good that the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is doing."
