On September 11, 2001, firefighter Stephen Siller was off duty when he heard the towers had been hit. He drove to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, found it closed to traffic, strapped on 60 pounds of gear, and ran through the tunnel on foot toward the World Trade Center. He never came home.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in his memory by his brother Frank. Its mission has expanded from that single act of extraordinary courage into a nationwide commitment to the heroes who protect and serve America: providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families and catastrophically injured first responders, and supporting programs for first responders and their families.
At DeemedFit, supporting Tunnel to Towers is personal. The Tunnel to Towers Hoodie was designed as a direct tribute to the Foundation's mission and the people it serves.
What Tunnel to Towers Does
The Foundation runs several core programs:
Smart Home Program
Tunnel to Towers builds custom smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders — specially designed to accommodate their specific disabilities. These homes are mortgage-free and adapted to support independence and quality of life for those who sacrificed the most.
Gold Star Family Home Program
When a military member or first responder is killed in the line of duty, their family should not also lose their home. Tunnel to Towers pays off the mortgages of surviving spouses with young children, ensuring families can stay in their homes while they grieve and rebuild.
Fallen First Responder Home Program
This program provides mortgage-free homes to the families of first responders killed in the line of duty — law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS workers whose families would otherwise face losing their home on top of losing their loved one.
Mental Health and Wellness
The Foundation has expanded in recent years to address the mental health crisis in first responder communities, providing resources and support for the psychological wounds the job creates.
Why DeemedFit Supports Tunnel to Towers
DeemedFit was built by first responders who understand that service does not end when a career ends — and that the families of those who fall deserve the same commitment the fallen gave to their communities.
The Tunnel to Towers Hoodie is a direct expression of that commitment. An 80/20 cotton-poly build with a bold Never Forget design, it is the kind of piece you reach for when you want to carry something more than fabric.
Every purchase supports the Foundation's work and DeemedFit's broader mission of supporting first responder mental health. These are not separate things. The same community that needs the Smart Home Program also needs the RU OK? conversation. Supporting Tunnel to Towers and supporting first responder mental health are two sides of the same mission.
How to Support Tunnel to Towers
Beyond purchasing the hoodie, there are several ways to support the Foundation directly:
- Monthly giving: The Foundation runs a $11-a-month campaign — the same cost as a large pizza — that collectively funds its programs
- 5K events: Tunnel to Towers 5K runs are held across the country, with participants walking or running the same route Stephen Siller ran on September 11th
- Volunteer: Local events and programs welcome community volunteers
- Spread the word: The Foundation's work is largely funded by individual donors. Sharing its mission matters.
You can learn more at t2t.org.
And if you want to wear the tribute, the Tunnel to Towers Hoodie is available now at DeemedFit. Wear it to remember. Wear it to honor. Wear it to show the families of fallen heroes that their sacrifice has not been forgotten.