Join us to honor Brooklyn firefighter

Commemorations continue for the nearly 3,000 lives lost in New York City, Washington, D.C., and a field in western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Jeffrey Miller, a vein specialist and interventional radiologist, asked if we could help with his Miller Vein of Novi fundraiser for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

There’s a 2 mile run/walk/stair climb at Novi High School’s stadium at 24062 Taft Rd., just south of 10 Mile on Sunday starting at 8 a.m. with special honors to Novi’s own first responders. Red Wings musical voice Karen Newman will sing the national anthem, and all participants are asked to contribute $15 to the Tunnel to Tower Foundation in tribute to the fallen heroes.

Who is Stephen Siller?

What does Tunnel to Towers mean?

Here’s the story, just one of many we have since learned:

Stephen Siller, a 34-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y. firefighter just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he heard on his scanner that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. As he headed back to Squad 1, he called his wife, Sally, and asked her to call his brothers to tell them he would catch up with them later. With his gear loaded in his truck and on his way to the WTC, Siller made it to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, only to find it already closed for security reasons.

Not to be stopped in his effort to help, Siller strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers.

Siller lost his life that day while saving others, leaving behind his wife and five children.

Hope you can join us.

Paul W. Smith is host of “The Paul W. Smith Show” on WJR-AM (760) from 5:30-9 a.m. Monday-Friday.