Maine Firefighters Take Part in Tunnel to Towers Foundation Ru

PHOTO: Tunnel to Towers Foundation Portland 5k race. Courtesy of IAFF 740.

Firefighters from all over Maine took part in the first Tunnel to Towers Foundation Portland 5K race in Portland on Saturday, August 31. Portland Professional Firefighters (IAFF 740) reported that the event was a “huge success,” raising $20,000 for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for injured veterans and first responders. Augusta Maine Fire-Rescue raised the most money for a team and Brian Curtis raised the most money as an individual.

“Thank you to Ralph Munroe of Ladder 3 Rosemont Fire Station Shift 3 who organized this whole event! Also thanks to the Portland Maine Fire Department and South Portland Fire Department for having fire trucks at the event. Thank you the City of Portland, Maine for allowing to host this race in our great city,” IAFF 740 wrote on Facebook. “Special shout out goes to Jesse Lemieux for being the first woman to finish the race. Also a special shout out to Kyle Kennedy and Travis Larson who took 2nd and 3rd place respectively, for runner who ran in turnout gear.”

PHOTO: Bangor Firefighters at the Portland 5k. Courtesy of IAFF 772.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was formed in honor of New York Firefighter Stephen Siller of Brooklyn Squad 1 who nearly 23 years ago heard on his scanner of a plane crashing into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Siller returned to his station to grab his gear and drove to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, where he found the entrance closed for security reasons. With 60 lbs of gear on his back Siller raced on foot through the tunnel to the WTC towers. Hewas one of 343 FDNY firefighters who died in the line of duty that day.