Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk honors 9/11 heroes, first responders

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – On Saturday, hundreds of people honored 9/11 heroes in Cypress through the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk.

This was the second annual event held by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in Cy-Fair. The run kicked off at John Paul Landing Park at the Environmental Education Center.

About 400 people came out for the event, which was held to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 as well as first responders and military members who have laid down their lives to keep the public safe.

For more than 20 years, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has created programs that help pay off the mortgages for Military Gold Star Families and the families of fallen first responders. The organization also builds mortgage free smart homes for America’s most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

KPRC 2′s Corley Peel spoke with a recruiter at the run who said she’s from New York, and 9/11 is the reason she became a first responder.

“I actually started my career in law enforcement about 13 years ago and switched over to the fire service. It was definitely a part of it. I was in 9th grade when 9/11 happened, and I can remember that moment just as much as anyone can. It definitely drove me to look into being able to serve my community,” said Samantha Smith, a Community Volunteer Fire Department Lt. of Recruiting.

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About the Author

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.

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