Media Release | January 14, 2026
Tunnel to Towers Foundation – Florida
REGISTRATION IS OPEN UNTIL RACE TIME FOR THE SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2026
Clearwater, FL – January 31, 2026 – The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established in memory of fallen 9/11 firefighter Stephen Siller, whose mission is to honor and support first responders and military, is partnering with the City of Clearwater to host a 5K run and walk at 8:30 am on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Nearly 700 people are expected to participate, up to 100 of them will be uniformed firefighters, police officers and military service members.
The event will be held at Coachman Park located at 300 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, FL 33755. The event will honor and celebrate Tampa Bay Area first responders—fire, police, EMTs, paramedics, dispatch—as well as military service heroes who serve, sacrifice and protect us every day.
The event will begin at 8:30 am with a ceremony that will include a special tribute and moment of honor for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue driver/engineer Tyler Vilimek, who was seriously injured in the line of duty in October 2025 while working a structure fire. The race will begin at 9:00 am.
Registration to participate or volunteer is open and will remain open up until race time as follows:
Registered walkers and runners will have the opportunity to create their own profile pages that will feature their personal photos and individual stories. Additionally, participants can compete to raise the most funds and recruit the most friends to their team.
The Clearwater 5K Run & Walk will start at 8:30 am with a Color Guard Processional, a live performance of the National Anthem, a firefighter bell ceremony, a guest speaker, a tribute to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue injured driver/engineer Tyler Vilimek followed by a bagpiper leading the first responders and military and then the general public to the start line to begin the race.
The Clearwater 5K Run & Walk is among more than 80 events in a national series of 5Ks and tower climbs held across the United States in support of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. This event is one of five Tunnel to Towers fundraising events held in the Tampa Bay Area. Of particular interest with all our events is that the first responders and military heroes participate while wearing their full gear which weighs up to 60 pounds for the firefighters.
Tunnel to Towers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for our nation’s first responders and military. Through its Smart Home Program, customized high-tech “smart homes” have been built throughout the country, including many in Tampa Bay, for catastrophically injured or ill service members and first responders. These homes have specialized features controlled with iPads to allow these heroes to lead as independent lives as possible. Through its Fallen First Responder Home Program, the Foundation pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics/EMTs killed in the line of duty who leave behind young children. The Foundation’s goal is to ensure stability and security for 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.
Tunnel to Towers recently launched a national campaign aimed at eradicating homelessness by providing tiny, comfort homes or apartment-style housing to homeless veterans across all 50 states. Tunnel to Towers is currently providing housing to more than 17,000 homeless veterans including a village currently under construction in Manatee County, Florida.
Of special note for Tampa Bay, Tunnel to Towers is finalizing construction of a 96-home “LET US DO GOOD VILLAGE” in Land O’ Lakes, FL. The mortgage-free homes are for the Foundation’s injured/ill first responders and military and families of the fallen. The Village includes a recently completed resort-style amenities center. This is a one-of-a-kind endeavor unlike anything ever constructed in the U.S. to date.
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 having just finished his 24 hour shift 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 already blocked for security, in a supreme act of heroism, Stephen ditched his truck and ran about three miles with his gear to the Twin Towers where he caught up with his team who all lost their lives while saving others. Stephen’s body was never found.
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 on the last Sunday in September. The event, which draws 50,000 participants from all over the world, follows in Stephen’s heroic footsteps on 9/11.
For more information on The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Clearwater 5K Run & Walk, please visit https://t2t.org/.