The New York City area has been touched by numerous stories pertaining to the attacks on the Twin Towers, which occurred an unbelievable fourteen and a half years ago. Each year we are reminded of these attacks when friends and family gather at Ground Zero to honor every single victim’s life. One by one, the brave men and women, along with the names of thousands of other innocent lives, are recognized with a special ceremony.
With all the fundraisers and other events that occur each year in remembrance of 9/11, there is one in particular that sticks out to me: Tunnel to Towers. This run was created in honor of firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller. When Stephen received a call on his scanner that the Twin Towers had been hit, he got in his car and rushed towards NYC, but was stopped at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. With this delay, he strapped on about sixty pounds of firefighting gear and ran from the tunnel to the towers. Tunnel to Towers continues each year as a means to respect his hard work and dedication.
I first had the opportunity of hearing about Tunnel to Towers from my good friend, Mr. John Donnelly. John is a member of Chemical Engine 118 of the Croton-on-Hudson volunteer fire department. With Tunnel to Towers approaching this week, I sat down with John for a Q&A:
Q: When did you first hear about and/or participate in tunnels to towers?
A: I heard about it from my friends while I was still relatively new to the company.
Q: Did it ever impact your decision to join the fire department?
A: I joined before [hearing about it], so no it did not.
Q: Where does it start? Where exactly does it finish?
A: It starts in Red Hook, Brooklyn, just above the toll plaza for the battery tunnel. It ends in the downtown area a few blocks from the reflecting pools of the 9/11 memorial.
Q: How far of a run is it?
A: it’s said to be a 5K, which is 3.2 miles, but in actuality it’s 3.5 miles. Slightly longer.
Q: How many people participate from your fire department?
A: It varies year to year, but we've had 8 from our department and several more who are friends from neighboring departments.
Q: Why do you personally participate? What does it mean to you?
A: It’s a good cause. There are some wounded veterans that have injuries that make life after returning home especially difficult, and building homes to better the way so that they can go about their daily lives is what the organization organizing the event works towards. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers run follows the route of Stephen Siller and many others who hastily made their way into Manhattan on foot, overcoming stopped vehicles in the tunnel, and carrying their gear all the while. The majority of participants are not firefighters, and for the ones who are, some such as myself, choose to wear our personal gear. It is by no means easy as the tunnel becomes increasingly humid the further in we run.
Q: Do you encourage others to participate?
A: Having done it twice, it is really a moving experience. The support and camaraderie among participants is absolutely amazing along the run. I would absolutely encourage others to participate and participate in gear even. I feel that running in the footsteps of the bravest of fire EMS and police personnel that day honors those who went that distance, and beyond.
As John said, Tunnel to Towers is an amazing cause that truly honors the memory of just one person who was willing to risk their life for the entire city. This organization encourages all citizens to participate. For more information on Tunnel to Towers, please visit http://tunnel2towers.org/.
