ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Thousands are expected to crowd into Cranes Roost Park on Saturday for a race to honor the lives of first responders who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
For the 12th year, nonprofit Tunnel to Towers will be holding a 5K race in Central Florida.
The event began in New York in 2002 to honor the life of Stephen Siller, a FDNY firefighter who lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001, after strapping on his gear and running three miles through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers.
Over the years, the race has expanded to more than 75 locations across the country.
First responders often run in full gear and with pictures of those who have died in the line of duty.
“It’s quite an emotional event, because as you finish the race, you run by a picture of every fallen first responder and police officer so there’s over a mile long of pictures that you can see the faces of people that gave their life that day,” Tunnel to Towers co-director Ralph Albano said.
As runners honor the lives lost, they also raise money for several causes.
The Tunnel to Towers foundation supports programs that include outreach for homeless veterans, paying off mortgages for first responders and gold star families who left behind small children, and building homes for severely injured veterans.
Saturday’s event begins with a ceremony at 7 a.m. and the race at 7:30 a.m.
For more details on Tunnel to Towers, click here.
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