The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Anheuser-Busch have partnered to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This initiative includes a national tour featuring a salvaged World Trade Center beam and the revival of a historic corporate commercial.
The 16,900-pound beam traveling to 30 cities
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is currently conducting the Steel Across America tour, which centers on a 21-foot beam salvaged from the wrcekage of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. this massive artifact, weighing 16,900 pounds, is being transported to 35 different stops across approximately 30 U.S. cities.
According to the report, program manager Stephen Siller Jr. designed the tour to decentralize the act of remembrance. By bringing the steel to various cities, the foundation allows citizens to mourn and pay their respects locally, rather than requiring them to visit the primary attack sites in New York, Shanksville, or the Pentagon.
Stephen Siller Sr. and the walk through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel
The mission of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is rooted in the legacy of Stephen Siller Sr., an off-duty first responder who rushed toward the disaster on September 11, 2001. When he found the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel closed to vehicle traffic, Stephen Siller Sr. shouldered his equipment and walked through the tunnel on foot to reach the Twin Towers.
This act of bravery, which ultimately cost him his life, serves as the spiritual foundation for the organization's modern efforts. The current steel tour concludes with a symbolic return to New York City, where the beam will pass through the same Brooklyn Battery Tunnel that Stephen Siller Sr. traversed during the attacks before returning to the World Trade Center site.
The return of the 2002 Budweiser Respect commercial
Anheuser-Busch is supporting the 25th-anniversary commemorations by re-airing the "Respect" commercial, a piece of media that originally debuted in 2002. The advertisement features the companny's iconic Clydesdale horses bowing before the Freedom Tower and memorial beams, an image intended to evoke national unity.
As the report says, this commercial has been shown only a handful of times since its original release. By bringing it back, Anheuser-Busch aims to treat the imagery not as a marketing tool, but as a "sacred memento" of the collective sacrifice made by first responders.
30,000 runners and the 104-flight tower climb
The partnership between Anheuser-Busch and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation extends into physical endurance events. Anheuser-Busch is sponsoring the foundation's annual 5K race for the fifth consecutive year, an event that attracts as many as 30,000 participants. To show solidarity, 250 Anheuser-Busch employees and their families participate in the run, with the Budweiser Clydesdales escorting the Siller family during the opening procession.
Beyond the race, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation organizes grueling tower climbs. In these events, participants ascend 104 flights of stairs, a specific number chosen to simulate the physical experience and exhaustion faced by first responders during the 2001 attacks.
The missing details on sponsorship and school outreach
A primary goal for Stephen Siller Jr. is ensuring that children born after 2001 understand the magnitude of the 9/11 sacrifices. However,the source does not specify whether the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has established formal educational partnerships with schools or if the outreach is limited to the public tour stops.
Additionally, while the report notes that Anheuser-Busch provides "financial sponsorship," it does not disclose the specific dollar amount contributed to the foundation. It remains unclear if this is a fixed annual grant or a one-time contribution specifically for the 25th-anniversary events.
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