The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has delivered mortgage-free homes to 21 families of fallen first responders across the country, including six families who lost their loved ones to 9/11-related illness.
The homes were gifted in recognition of the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation said: “It has been 24 years since the cowardly attacks on America on September 11, 2001.
“On that day, first responders like my brother, FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, ran toward danger and gave their lives to save others.
“While decades have passed since that tragic day, families of our heroes continue to feel the impact, as our great nation continues to lose heroes to 9/11-related illnesses.
“Today, we remember the lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, PA and we stand with those who are still being directly impacted by the attacks.”
The Tunnel to Towers Fallen First Responder Home Program pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty, pass away from 9/11-related illnesses and leave behind young children.
Retired FDNY EMS Lieutenant Anthony Cozzino was a 26-year veteran of the department, serving mostly out of Station 43 in Brooklyn.
He responded to the September 11th attacks and took part in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. In 2024, he passed away from 9/11-related lung cancer at age 51. He is survived by his wife, Lori and his three children.
Lori Cozzino shared: “It is such an honor for our family to be selected because of Anthony’s bravery and sacrifice, but it was an instant reminder of why he is no longer with us.
“It is such a bizarre feeling to be simultaneously filled with appreciation and gratitude along with crippling grief.”
Sergeant Michael Abbate served more than a decade with the Nevada Highway Patrol. He led the department’s driver education program, training both officers and cadets.
After his passing, he was posthumously awarded the Nevada State Police Medal of Valor.
He is survived by his wife, Vanessa and their young son. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation ensured that Vanessa could remain forever in the family’s Henderson home that she and Michael built together.
Vanessa Abbate said: “After losing Michael, one of my biggest fears was losing this home we worked so hard for and put so much of ourselves into.
To have my son grow up in the home his daddy built with his own hands will forever be special to us. This home means so much more to us than just a roof over our head, it’s having Michael forever here with us.”
As part of its mission to ensure America NEVER FORGETS 9/11, the Foundation created the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Institute, a national education program that provides first-person, non-fiction resources for educators, parents and students across the country.
The 9/11 Institute equips teachers with age-appropriate tools to teach the history of the September 11 attacks to grades K-12, showcasing the stories of heroism and the resilience shown by first responders and everyday Americans.
Siller said: “The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is helping America keep its promise to NEVER FORGET by educating generations born after the attacks about the sacrifice, unity and courage that defined our nation on its darkest day.
“Tunnel to Towers also continues to engage tens of thousands of people across our nation each year to honor the fallen through our many runs, walks, climbs and golf outings.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has delivered mortgage-free homes to 21 families of fallen first responders across the country, including six families who lost their loved ones to 9/11-related illness.
