Palm Coast – Palm Coast is proud to partner with Tunnel to Towers to host a 5K walk/run in Palm Coast at 8:00 a.m. on May 14, 2022 at Central Park in Town Center. This inaugural event supports Tunnel to Towers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services to our nation’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes and their families.

The event will kick-off with the Presentation of Colors by the Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard followed by a few speakers from the Palm Coast Fire Department, City of Palm Coast, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and Tunnel to Towers. The 5K race will begin directly after the speeches, at approximately 8:30 a.m.

Medals will be awarded to the fastest students (male and female) under 18 years of age. The top three male and female finishers in the following age groups will also receive medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place: 18-39, 40-59, 60 and over. All participants will receive a Tunnel to Towers commemorative badge and t-shirt.

Registration check-in and the event starting line will be located on the southwest side of Central Park, at the intersection of Central Avenue and Park Street. Race packet pickup will be available on the day of the event beginning at 7 a.m. Early packet-pickup will be on Thursday, May 12 from 3-6pm, and Friday, May 13 from 11am-2pm at the Community Wing of Palm Coast City Hall, 160 Lake Avenue. This will be a timed event.

For those interested in participating in the 5K run/walk, registration will remain open through Wednesday, May 12 by visiting https://dogood.t2t.org/event/2022-tunnel-to-towers-5k-run-and-walk-palm-coast-fl/e390030

Parking for the event will be available along Central Avenue from Park Street eastward to the Epic Movie Theaters, where there will be overflow parking available. During the event, all westbound vehicle traffic from City Place to Market Street will be closed.

………………………………………………..

Tunnel to Towers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for the nation’s first responders and military. Through its Smart Home Program, dozens of customized high-tech “smart homes” have been built throughout the country for catastrophically injured service members. These homes, created primarily for those who are now triple-and quadruple-amputees as a result of IED explosions, have specialized features run off of iPads to allow these heroes to lead as independent a life as possible. Through its Fallen First Responder Home Program, the Foundation pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty who leave behind young children. The Foundation’s goal is to ensure stability and security to these families facing sudden tragic loss. Through its Gold Star Family Home Program, the Foundation honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country by providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes.

About Stephen Siller/the Tunnel to Towers Foundation:

Tunnel to Towers is dedicated to the memory of FDNY hero, and father of five, Stephen Siller, who lost his life on 9/11. Stephen, who was off-duty when the first plane hit, drove to his Brooklyn firehouse and retrieved over 60 pounds of his gear, then sought the quickest route to the World Trade Center. Finding the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel blocked, in a supreme act of heroism, Stephen ran about three miles with that gear, to the Twin Towers, where he perished.

Stephen’s six much-older brothers and sisters, who had raised him after Stephen was orphaned at age 10, subsequently established the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in his honor. Its signature event is its Annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/Walk held in New York City the last September of the month. The event, which draws 25,000 participants from all over the world, follows in Stephen’s heroic footsteps on 9/11.

Media Release: City of Palm Coast