From the Rockaway Township UNICO Chapter:
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which has been helping Gold Star- and fallen first responder families in the aftermath of 9/11, will be honored in Mountain Lakes this Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
Rockaway Township UNICO will present the nonprofit foundation with its Daniel Bell Citizenship Award at a noontime dinner at The Mansion on Route 46.
“We’ve seen what the Tunnel to Towers organization can do and applaud its sense of
charity,” said Joseph Bell, an original member of Rockaway UNICO and chairman of the Citizen Committee of Rockaway UNICO. “We’re glad to be of some help to such a worthy cause.”
The award was established in 2019 in remembrance of Joe and Linda Bell’s late son, Dan, who died in a motorcycle accident at age 30.
It’s a tribute to Dan’s kind soul, unwavering loyalty, and the deep connections he formed with his family, his friends and his community. Dan’s impact remains profound, uniting people even years after his passing. The Dan Bell Citizenship Award celebrates his legacy by fostering meaningful relationships and supporting causes he cherished.
Tunnels to Towers was created in December 2001 by Frank Siller, the foundation’s CEO and president, and by the Siller family, to commemorate the memory of those who
died trying to help others on Sept. 11 of that year.
Stephen Siller, Frank’s brother and a New York fireman assigned to Squad 1 in Brooklyn,
was among those killed.
Stephen had just finished his shift and was heading home when he heard about the terror
attacks. He returned to the firehouse immediately, put on his fire-fighting gear, and took off for the Twin Towers.
The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel had been closed for security reasons by the time Stephen got there, so he parked his truck and took off running through the tunnel with 60-pounds of gear strapped to his back.
It wasn’t until the next day that Stephen’s family found out that he had died in the
wreckage — dying trying to help others.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation — Frank’s way of replicating his brother’s heroic run —
was organized and, since then, has grown in scope. Several fund-raiser events are conducted nationwide to commemorate the sacrifices made by first responders, military veterans, police, and EMTs who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb.
According to its website, the foundation’s goals are “to help America’s heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. We are also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget Sept. 11, 2001.”
Tunnel to Towers also is working to ensure those who dedicate their lives to helping others
have adequate housing — whether it’s building specially equipped homes for the severely
injured or helping pay mortgages of families who have lost heads of households.
Tickets for Sunday’s five-course dinner are $100, with all proceeds going directly to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The UNICO chapter and the foundation are 501(c)(3) registered nonprofits, and the price for dinner and all donations made are tax deductible.
The dinner runs from noon to 3 pm, with music by Anthony Sciabica. The Mansion is at at 90 Rte. 46 East in Mountain Lakes.
Tickets may be purchased by check made out to Rockaway Township UNICO, and sent to Rockaway Township UNICO, c/o Joseph J. Bell Esq., P.O. Box 220, Rockaway, NJ 07866.
Please place orders by Wednesday, Oct. 2. If you can’t make the awards ceremony but
wish to donate to Tunnel to Towers, checks can be sent to Bell at the above address.
Previously, Rockaway UNICO has held fund-raising dinners to assist the homeless in the
Rockaways, the Rockaway Food Closet; St. Peter’s Orphanage in Denville; and pancreatic cancer research.
