Tunnel to Towers Foundation Honors Fallen Heroes Delivering 36 Mortgage-Free Homes on Memorial Day
Homes are in 20 states stretching from coast to coast
[NEW YORK, NEW YORK] May 23, 2024 – This Memorial Day, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country, by supporting the families they left behind.
Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgage or provided a mortgage-free home to 36 families across 20 states, from Florida to California.
Outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Tunnel to Towers paid, in full, the mortgage for the Gold Star family of slain Army Major Thomas ‘TK’ Kennedy.
MAJ Kenndy grew up in New York and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where he played hockey. He earned his commission in 2000 and served two tours of Iraq and one to Afghanistan.
On August 8, 2012, MAJ Kennedy was killed by a Taliban suicide bomber while escorting VIPS to a provincial governor’s meeting. He left behind his wife, Kami, and their twins who were just weeks shy of their second birthday when they lost their father. The locker room at West Point was named in MAJ Kennedy’s memory.
“Tunnel to Towers support allows me to focus more on my twins…Having the peace of mind of having a mortgage-free home is just incredible,” said Kami.
In addition to those lost on the battlefield, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is honoring those who lost their lives to service-related illnesses connected to exposure to burn pits.
Army Staff Sergeant Ronald Shurer II passed away after a three-year battle with service-connected cancer on May 14th, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Miranda, and two sons.
After America was attacked on September 11, 2001, SSG Shurer decided to leave graduate school and serve his country. He enlisted in the US Army in November of 2002.
SSG Shurer started as a medic, joined Special Forces in 2004, and served two tours in Afghanistan. After leaving the Army, SSG Shurer joined the U.S. Secret Service, where he investigated financial crimes, and protected the President, Vice President, and high-level dignitaries.
Tunnel to Towers paying off the mortgage on his family’s home has ensured his wife and their sons can stay in the community they have lived in for a decade, “It was important to us because we love this community… It’s been a great support system. Having a mortgage-free home provides an extra layer of security, I know that if anything happens to me, the kids will still have this home,” said Miranda Shurer.
The Tunnel to Towers Gold Star Family Home Program honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country by paying off the mortgage or providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes.
“Today, we honor the memory of those who laid down their lives to protect us at home and abroad. This Memorial Day, we stand with these families, providing them with the security and stability they deserve and deliver the message that their loved one’s service and sacrifice have not and will not be forgotten,” said Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Join us on our mission to provide mortgage-free homes to the families these heroes leave behind by donating $11 per month please visit T2T.org.
About 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. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001. Visit t2t.org to learn more. Follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Trevor Tamsen — Trevor.Tamsen@t2t.org