Marquette, MI – August 11, 2015 – On August 6th, retired New York City Fire Department firefighter Ray Thomas presented Carpet Specialists Carpet One with a piece of 9/11 World Trade Center Steel in Marquette and Ishpeming to personally thank owner Scott Patrick and his staff for their support of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s program Building for America’s Bravest (BFAB), a program that builds high tech Smart Homes for service members returning from war who have catastrophic injuries.
Scott Patrick said Carpet One Floor & Home, and its manufacturing partner Mohawk, committed to providing flooring materials and installation for 46 Smart Homes. His stores in Marquette and Ishpeming are raising funds to build those Smart Homes – homes that are custom designed to address the unique needs of each individual veteran, allowing them to live better, more independent lives.
Lt. Ray Thomas recently retired from the New York Fire Department after 24 years. On September 11, 2001, his ladder company 118 responded after the second plane hit the towers and tragically all members of the company perished. Lt. Thomas was off duty on that day, but responded on his own to the towers before the collapse of the north tower. He spent 6 weeks at the WTC site in rescue and recovery operations.
About The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named in honor of FDNY 9/11 fallen Firefighter Stephen Siller who responded on his own to 9/11, but was unable to get to the towers because the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel had already been closed. Siller strapped on 60 pounds of firefighting gear and ran on foot through the gridlocked traffic from the Tunnel to the Towers, where he gave his life to save others.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation is best known for it’s annual Tunnel to Towers Run at Ground Zero in New York City. Runners and walkers trace Stephen Sillers’ steps on his way through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Towers. The non-profit foundation is committed to building specially adapted Smart Homes for the most seriously wounded U.S. veterans through its Building For America’s Bravest program. For more information about the Stephen Seller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, go to www.Tunnel2Towers.org.
