Tunnels to Towers 9/11 charity event
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The gist
Tunnel to Towers raised $539.5 million in 2024, up from $7.3 million in 2014.
The 9/11 charity now funds veterans' housing, not just first responders.
Background
Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in memory of Stephen Siller, a firefighter who died running through a closed tunnel to reach the World Trade Center on 9/11. For its first eight years it stayed small, focused on firefighters and first responders, and didn't raise more than $150,000 until 2006. It later expanded its mission to returning military veterans and their families, and that shift helped make it one of the nation's top fundraisers. As the 25th anniversary of the attacks approached, the foundation and other 9/11 charities were working to stay relevant to a new generation.
How it unfolded
- 2001Stephen Siller, a firefighter, dies after running through a closed tunnel to reach the World Trade Center on 9/11; the foundation is later created in his memory.
- 2006The charity, still focused mainly on firefighters and first responders, raises more than $150,000 for the first time.
- 2014Tunnel to Towers reports $7.3 million in contributions.
- 2024Contributions reach $539.5 million, according to its informational tax returns.
- Sep 7, 2026The Summit Heroes Golf Classic, benefiting Tunnel to Towers, draws 144 attendees four days before the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
- Sep 8, 2026President Donald Trump speaks at a Tunnel to Towers event at the Ellipse honoring 9/11 victims, featuring a 21-foot steel beam recovered from the South Tower.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Frank Siller, the foundation's chairman and CEO and brother of Stephen Siller, said the steel beam 'represents the best of our country' and that the heroism shown on 9/11 was 'nothing short of incredible.'
- Analysts
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that 9/11 charities are evolving to remain relevant, noting 9/11 Day studied fading engagement around Pearl Harbor and doubled down on volunteerism, while Tunnel to Towers expanded into veterans' causes and became a top fundraiser.