September 11, 2014
Columbia, SC -- The second annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk is set for Friday, September 19, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. in Columbia’s Vista. Medal of Honor recipient and U.S. Marine Cpl. Kyle Carpenter of Lexington County will be participating in this year’s race with fellow Marines, other military service members and first responders.
“The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk is designed to celebrate and appreciate first responders and military service members, who serve, save and sacrifice on our behalf every day,” said Dan Hennigan, Tunnel to Towers South Carolina committee chair.
Stephen Siller was a New York City firefighter and father of five who died on September 11. That day, Siller was off-duty and on his way to play golf. When he heard what was happening at the World Trade Center, he strapped on 60 pounds of gear and ran from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center. He gave his life to save others. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation is committed to ensuring that Americans never forget 9/11 and that our children understand the sacrifices made by many on that day.
The picturesque route for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk begins near the First Responders Historic Remembrance Memorial next to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Lincoln Street. Participants will travel down Blossom Street, across the Blossom Street Bridge, into Cayce, up the Gervais Street Bridge and back to The Vista at sunset.
The goal of Tunnel to Towers is to support first responders and military service members who have been catastrophically injured in the line of duty. Proceeds from the 5K will benefit the building of smart homes for quadruple and triple amputee veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Building for America’s Bravest” program.
You can register for South Carolina’s Tunnel to Towers 5K Walk and Run at www.t2trun.org. The entry fee is $25. Importantly, businesses and organizations are encouraged to build a team of participants.
In 2013, participants included more than 800 Fort Jackson soldiers running in formation, Midlands first responders, law enforcement officers, military service members from all branches of the Armed Forces, avid runners, families and teams from Lexington Medical Center, which supports Tunnel to Towers. More than 2,000 people participated. Many more are expected this year. This year’s event will also include an awards ceremony and after party at the Tin Roof, with music, food and beverages.
Acclaimed country music singer and four-time Grammy Award nominee Hunter Hayes will be in Columbia for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk and will give a special concert for 5K participants after the race at the Tin Roof and Music Farm.
At the young age of 22, Hunter Hayes has received unprecedented praise for his talents. He has been the Country Music Awards (CMA) New Artist of the Year and the youngest male act ever to top the Billboard Hot Country song chart. For more information on Hunter, visit www.hunterhayes.com
The gates for the Event Celebrationwill open at 7:30 p.m. at the Tin Roof and Music Farm at 1022 Senate Street. The race awards ceremony will begin at 8:00 p.m., followed by the concert at the Music Farm at 9:00 p.m.
All race participants who want to attend the Hunter Hayes concert must pick up a ticket on Thursday, September 18 beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Music Farm box office on Senate Street. Limited tickets are available and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
To pick up a ticket for this special Hunter Hayes concert, you must present an official, 2014 Tunnel to Towers race bib from Strictly Running and a photo ID at the box office. Attendees will receive one ticket per race bib. Bib pickup dates and locations will be announced in the coming days.
You may pick up tickets for a maximum of four race participants. However, you must present an official race bib and ID for each ticket. Concert attendees must also be at least 16 years old. Race participants who do not receive a ticket can watch the concert on a screen and in stereo at the outdoor Event Celebration at the Tin Roof.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be served at no cost and beer will be sold at the event. Proper ID is required. This one of a kind Event Celebration is brought to you by Tin Roof and Music Farm, WCOS and the Stephen Siller South Carolina 5K Run/Walk Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
For more information about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk, call Katie Shearouse at (803) 798-4979.
Follow news and information about September’s Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers South Carolina 5K Run & Walk on social media:
Facebook: Tunnel to Towers South Carolina
Twitter: @T2TSC
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For more information on Tunnel to Towers and Stephen Siller, visit Tunnel2Towers.org.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
