Students from Colonial Academy’s Therapeutic Emotional Support program commemorated the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with a “Tunnel to Towers” run last month.
Under the supervision of School Resource Officer, Mr. Zwally and Principal, Dr Krotowski, students donned full firefighter equipment and traveled the Academy's South 1 hallway, climbed two flights of stairs, and then made their way back to their starting point. Their trip in full firefighter gear gave them a first hand experience of the 60+ pound weight the firefighters carried while traversing the steps of the World Trade Center. Students also learned more about 9/11 in their history classes and created a mural as part of their art curriculum.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in the aftermath of 9/11 by Frank Siller who lost his brother, a NY firefighter, in the collapse of the World Trade Center. Every September, thousands of participants gather and run from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Freedom Tower, retracing the route taken by Sillers brother to remember the 343 FDNY firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on 9/11.