Steel Across America: Tunnel to Towers Foundation Launches Nationwide Tour to Mark 25 Years Since 9/11
World Trade Center steel beam to travel to 35+ cities, 21+ states ahead of September 11. Tour will next arrive at the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum in West Sayville, NY May 4th.
New York, NY, May 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tunnel to Towers Foundation today launched Steel Across America, the foundation’s signature event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11, just steps from the original World Trade Center site.
Spanning coast-to-coast through September 11, Steel Across America brings a 16,000-pound steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center to local communities across the country, offering the public a rare opportunity to experience this powerful sacred artifact firsthand.
"This tour is about ensuring that every generation can remember, and truly understand, what happened 25 years ago,” said Frank Siller, Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO. “Steel Across America is our promise to bring this sacred piece of history to every corner of this country – honoring the civilians, first responders, and servicemembers who gave their lives on 9/11 and in the years that followed. No one, regardless of their age or where they live, should ever forget what happened here or the bravery that was shown by so many heroes.”
The tour will make more than 35 stops across 21+ states, traveling over 10,500 miles to help ensure that future generations “Never Forget” the 2,977 lives lost that day. As it moves from city to city, the tour will visit landmark locations, community gathering places, town squares, major sporting events, and The White House before culminating in its return to Ground Zero on September 11th on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
At the first event, the steel beam was ceremoniously received for the very first time at 9AM ET in Lower Manhattan by Brad Blakeman, Board Member of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, who led a moment of silence to begin the day’s events. Following the steel beam’s unveiling, Frank Siller was joined by his nephew Stephen Siller Jr., the son of former FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001.
Additional ceremonial aspects included an invocation and blessing by FDNY Chaplain Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, musical performances by the FDNY and Port Authority Pipes and Drums Bands, and the National Anthem performed by Danny Rodriguez. The morning event concluded by bringing the steel through a walkway of 343 volunteer firefighters – each carrying a banner bearing the images, names and companies of the 343 FDNY members killed on that fateful day.
The steel was then transported via police escort to its first official stop at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, where it was greeted by hundreds of supporters and members of the broader public. John LaBarbera, Retired FDNY Battalion Chief and Tunnel to Towers Foundation Board Member, led the ceremony honoring civilians and first responders who lost their lives on 9/11 and those who continue to protect our nation today.
Staten Island guest speakers included Chaplain Timothy Lee, who led the invocation and blessing of the steel, and Colonel Paul Barnett, who spoke about the strength and sacrifice of the brave men and women who continue to protect our freedom. The program concluded with a performance by the NYPD Jazz Band, after which members of the public enjoyed a BBQ catered by Grill Team Six, a volunteer group of FDNY firefighters dedicated to supporting Tunnel to Towers events.
“We will never forget the men and women who, like my father, so bravely looked down the barrels of darkness and risked their lives to save so many,” said Stephen Siller Jr. “Their memory will not be in vain and they will not be forgotten.”
The steel beam is an everlasting reminder of the selfless courage and service of first responders who gave their lives on 9/11. Recovered by thousands of first responders who rushed to Ground Zero in the days following the attacks, the beam stands as a symbol of sacrifice, resilience, and our unbreakable spirit that emerged from tragedy.
Steel Across America will next be on view at the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum in West Sayville, New York on Monday, May 4th, before moving to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA on Thursday, May 7th.
About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
Children of the Foundation’s home recipients are offered full scholarships for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs, helping secure their futures. The Foundation is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.
Visit T2T.org to learn more, and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation T2TSteelTour@Sloanepr.com
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