Frank Siller: We Retrace My Brother’s ‘Final Heroic Footsteps’ on Run to Commemorate 9/11 Heroes

Frank Siller joined host Matthew Boyle on Breitbart News Saturday to tell the story of his heroic brother, a first responder on 9/11, and to discuss the work of his Tunnels to Towers Foundation.

This weekend Siller’s organization, the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, hosted a 5K run “where we retraced my brother New York City firefighter Steven Siller’s final heroic footsteps where he ran through Brooklyn battery tunnel to the towers and gave up his life while saving others,” Frank Siller told Boyle.

Siller explained, “We start in Brooklyn and we follow what he did, which is he ran through that tunnel,” on his way to the Twin Towers, all while carrying 60 pounds of gear on his back. “He’s symbolic of the heroism” of first responders on 9/11, Siller went on to say.

The run is the main event of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which commemorates the heroism of the first responders on 9/11 and provides for the families of those who have died in the line of duty.

The annual event draws massive crowds, including “over 35,000 people” and firefighters and police officers from all over the United States.

Siller noted that their event is a celebration of the lives of the first responders in addition to being a commemoration of their sacrifice. “We make sure we honor and make sure we never forget,” however “we also want a celebration of their lives,” Siller said. At the end of the run, the foundation hosted a concert with Dierks Bentley.

The organization pays off the mortgages “of firefighters and police officers that died in the line of duty that left young families behind,” and Siller noted that the organization has paid off the mortgages of over 200 families just this year alone.

He also noted that 95 percent of all donations to the foundation goes towards their program to support families left behind. He pointed out that such a high percentage is “unheard of in the nonprofit world” and thanked the volunteers who make it possible.

Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com.