A Pottsville auto dealership recently made a sizable donation to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a charity dedicated to honoring the victim of an heroic first responder by aiding military veterans and other first responders who’ve suffered life-altering injuries in the course of their work.
Bob Weaver Auto put up $50,000 from the profits generated by its dealership in Pottsville. GMC matches the local business’s contribution and together, they were able to contribute a sum total of $100,000 to Tunnel to Towers.
The announcement was made earlier this month during a ceremony at the Pottsville business. That ceremony featured a visit from one of the founders of Tunnel to Towers, Frank Siller, who started the charity in honor of his brother, a Brooklyn firefighter who died responding to the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
First responders, including police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel from around Schuylkill County were invited to attend the event.
“What it boils down to is us, our community, and everyone in here, we all know people that are either actively serving, veterans, first responders, and the people this organization helps,” Jacob Weaver, President of Bob Weaver Auto, told The Canary. “We’re blessed to be a part of it and to be able to contribute to it.”
Siller told those in attendance the story of his brother’s final brave day and how that inspired him to start Tunnel to Towers.
Stephen Siller’s vehicle was found outside the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, which connects Brooklyn to Manhattan. He rushed to his firehouse to grab his gear to respond to Ground Zero. There, he saw that his squad had already responded so he put his gear in his truck and made his way into the danger. Siller stopped outside the tunnel and then ran into Manhattan through the tunnel. He was last seen alive on W. Liberty St.
While many of Siller’s squad mates were found near the site of the South Tower, his body was never recovered from the wreckage.
“My brother’s final act is changing the world in a beautiful way,” Siller said. “My brother was a courageous human being long before he gave his life. He lived and served others and made the ultimate service by giving up his life.
The money donated by Bob Weaver Auto will go to help Tunnel to Towers put those “catastrophically injured” in the line of duty into “smart homes”. It also provides services to those injured that allow them to assimilate back into society. The foundation also promises to pay off the mortgages for families of first responders who make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
“We’re doing it for the greatest of all Americans,” Siller said, “those who put their lives on the line for us every single day.”
Those in attendance at the event in Pottsville had the opportunity to meet Cpl. Malik Omar. Omar was part of a convoy through Afghanistan in 2010 that was struck by a 300-pound IED. He was the only one in his truck that survived the explosion but lost his leg.
Omar spoke very highly of Tunnel to Towers Foundation despite feelings about similar charities that he labeled as “bad actors.” He said Siller’s organization is different and has been extremely helpful to him as he continues to recover from his injuries.
“If you had to donate, this is the organization to go to,” Omar said.
Siller said that 90% of every dollar donated to Tunnel to Towers is used to help those it promised to help.
“They actually put your money to work for guys like me,” Omar added.
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