Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Anheuser-Busch Honor the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 by Surprising Veteran with Mortgage-Free Smart Home at St. Louis Cardinals Game
Foundation Continues Nationwide ‘Steel Across America’ tour with by Bringing Iconic 16,900 World Trade Center Steel Beam to Busch Stadium
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI [August 8, 2026] — On Saturday, August 8th, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation visited Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri as part of the Steel Across America tour, surprising a decorated combat veteran and his family with a mortgage-free smart home in front of thousands of fans gathered to watch St. Louis take on the Colorado Rockies. Attendees were also able to view a 21-foot, 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center, bringing a sacred piece of American history to one of the most storied venues in baseball.
During the second inning, U.S. Army Sergeant Garry William Thompson Jr. was honored in the outfield during a special on-field ceremony. Retired FDNY Lieutenant and Tunnel to Towers Foundation Board Member Tom O’Connor joined Stephen Siller Jr., son of fallen 9/11 FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, and Colleen Lucas, Anheuser-Busch Vice President of Community Impact, to surprise Thompson with a ceremonial Tunnel to Towers key. The key represents a brand-new, mortgage-free smart home that will be custom-built from the ground up to meet Thompson’s specific needs.
“What the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has given my family is something truly life changing,” Sergeant Thompson Jr. said “This is a home built for me and my family, designed around my needs, that gives me the ability to move through my own space, to live with more independence, and to be the husband and father I want to be for Jennifer and my sons. I am beyond grateful. I’m glad to know that there are people, like those at the Foundation, who are looking out for us.”
Thompson, a Military Police Sergeant who served nine years of active duty from 2000 to 2009, was honorably discharged following a combat-related gunshot wound to the lumbar spine sustained during his 2008 deployment to Afghanistan, which resulted in bilateral lower extremity paraplegia. Awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Thompson has demonstrated the same resilience and courage in civilian life that defined his service. He will now be able to live freely and comfortably in a home designed specifically for him, one that honors his sacrifice and gives his family the stability and peace they have earned.
“My father ran toward the Twin Towers on September 11th with 60 pounds of gear on his back, knowing the danger that lay ahead, because that is what he was called to do,” said Siller Jr. “Sergeant Thompson answered that same call, serving nine years in uniform and giving everything he had in defense of this country. That is the spirit my father embodied, and that is the spirit we honor every single stop on this tour. It is the least we can do for people like Garry and his family, and it is why we will never stop doing this work.”
The day’s events celebrated the expanded partnership between Anheuser-Busch and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. As a national sponsor, Anheuser-Busch supports Tunnel to Towers races and community events nationwide, helping the Foundation provide critical housing assistance to military members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Over the course of the five-year partnership, Anheuser-Busch has contributed more than $750,000 to advance the Foundation’s mission.
“Anheuser-Busch has been proud to stand alongside the Tunnel to Towers Foundation for five years, and there is no more meaningful place to deepen that commitment than right here in our hometown of St. Louis,” said Colleen Lucas, Vice President of Community Impact, Anheuser-Busch. “Sergeant Thompson’s story embodies exactly why this partnership exists. He served this country with honor and deserves every bit of support we can give him and his family. Helping to make moments like this possible, where a hero like Garry can receive a home built specifically for his needs, is what serving those who serve truly looks like in action.”
Steel Across America is a moving tribute to a defining moment in American history, carrying a piece of the South Tower recovered by thousands of first responders who rushed to Ground Zero in the days following the attacks to communities across the country. The steel stands as a symbol of sacrifice, resilience, and the American spirit that emerged from tragedy, and the stories of men like New York City firefighter Stephen Siller and Sergeant Garry William Thompson Jr. remind us of exactly why we must Never Forget.
On Wednesday, August 12th, Steel Across America will make its next official stop at Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 18 in Chicago, Illinois.
About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
Children of the Foundation’s home recipients are offered full scholarships for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs, helping secure their futures. The Foundation is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.
Visit T2T.org to learn more, and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About Anheuser-Busch
At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a future with more cheers. For more than 165 years as a leading American manufacturer, we have delivered a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. As the nation’s top brewer, one of the fastest growing spirits companies, and an insurgent force in energy drinks, we drive economic prosperity nationwide through investments in our people, facilities, and communities. We are the only alcohol company that invests in the U.S. at this scale.
We make the nation’s most iconic beers, ready-to-drink spirits and beyond beer brands, including Michelob ULTRA – America’s #1 top-selling and fastest-growing beer – Busch Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois, Cutwater Spirits, NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer, BeatBox, industry-leading craft beers and non-alcohol beers like Michelob ULTRA Zero. We are guided by our commitment to the communities we call home and to the 65,000 hardworking Americans who bring our products to life. That’s who we are. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tunnel to Towers Foundation — T2TSteelTour@Sloanepr.com