Tunnel to Towers Foundation Launches ‘Steel Across America’ Tour Carrying World Trade Center Beam
16,900-pound South Tower artifact traveling to 30 cities across the United States
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has launched its nationwide “Steel Across America” tour, bringing a 16,900-pound structural beam from the World Trade Center to cities across the United States.
The 21-foot steel artifact originated from Tower 2 of the World Trade Center complex. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey preserved structural steel at JFK International Airport’s Hangar 17 before releasing artifacts to memorial groups, as detailed by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation hosts memorial races, including an annual 5K in New York City that Anheuser-Busch is sponsoring. (Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
This year, the group is traveling the country with a 21-foot, 16,900 pound beam from the South Tower of the World Trade Center with 35 stops in about 30 cities. The journey will conclude by going through a tunnel into New York City, following in the footsteps taken by Siller’s father as he responded to the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
Stephen Siller was an FDNY firefighter who was off-duty on the day of the September 11 attacks but responded to the World Trade Center after hearing the news. When he reached the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it was closed to vehicle traffic for security purposes, so he walked through the tunnel while carrying his gear to the Twin Towers, where he was tragically killed while trying to save others.
Stephen Siller Jr. serves as program manager for the foundation’s In the Line of Duty program. The tour utilizes a 53-foot tractor-trailer converted into a mobile exhibit displaying firefighter gear and authentic audio recordings of emergency dispatch calls from Sept. 11, 2001.
Budweiser’s “Respect” ad pays tribute to the victims of 9/11 and those who sacrificed their lives in responding to the attacks in service of our country. (Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch / Fox News)
Anheuser-Busch is providing corporate sponsorship for the tour stops across the country. The company plans to re-air its “Respect” television commercial during the anniversary period. The 60-second advertisement first aired during the 2002 Super Bowl and was re-broadcast for the 10th and 20th anniversaries.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Anheuser-Busch are continuing their partnership to ensure 9/11 is never forgotten. (Courtesy of Tunnel to Towers and Anheuser-Busch / Fox News)
Tour stops include fire stations, military bases, and community sites across 30 cities. The tour concludes with the annual Tunnel to Towers NYC 5K Run & Walk on Sunday, Sept. 27, capped at 30,000 participants.
