"So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you"
(2 Cor 4:12).
On 9/11/01, New York City firefighter Stephen Siller had just completed his
shift when he heard on his truck's scanner that a plane had hit one of the World
Trade Center towers. Siller quickly turned his truck around and attempted to
drive back to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel but found the entrance
blocked by abandoned vehicles. Desperate to join his elite Squad One brothers,
Siller donned 75 pounds of fire gear and ran a mile-and-a-half through the
tunnel, before an emergency vehicle picked him up and dropped him off at Tower
Two.
Siller had been orphaned at the age of 10 and raised by his much older
brothers and sisters. Siller died that day trying to save others. He left behind
a wife and five children.
His story proved so inspirational that it became a legend in the newsrooms
and firehouses of New York City. His six siblings - who in many ways viewed
Siller as a son, as well as a brother - found themselves grappling with a
dilemma: should they allow the tragic circumstances of their brother's death to
paralyze and embitter them or use it as a catalyst to help others and preserve
his memory?
The Siller family chose the latter.
Once they made that decision, and armed with no extraordinary wealth or
political clout, the siblings combined forces to convince New York officials to
close down the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel the last Sunday morning of each September
and stage the "Tunnel to Towers Run" to commemorate their brother's heroic last
run.
Each year since 9/11 tens of thousands of runners have retraced the steps of
a hero. As part of the event 343 New York City firefighters, each representing a
fallen comrade and holding an American flag, stand throughout the length of the
tunnel. They are joined by firefighters from across the United States, each
holding a poster-size picture of a firefighter who perished on 9/11.
The Siller family has raised more than $1 million and donated the money to
charities that benefit families of those affected by the 9/11 attacks.
This is a tribute to one heartbroken family who opted to channel its energy
into triumph out of tragedy.
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