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Jacqueline Lopez

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  5. Jacqueline Lopez

Like many T2T supporters, Jacqueline Lopez raises funds to pay homage to a loved one; in her case, the memory of her husband Luis Lopez. Luis was an NYPD Lieutenant who, in 2012, was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease that was contracted through his work at Ground Zero. In June of 2015, after three years of confinement to a wheel chair and having to use supplemental oxygen, Luis succumbed to the disease. He spent nearly 15 months in the hospital during his last three years of life. Luis Lopez served NYC as a police officer for 27 years.
Jacqueline refers to her late husband as her hero. “He was my warrior,” Jacqueline said. “I began fundraising because it was a way for me to keep Luis’ legacy alive. He was a man who came from nothing and believed in helping others. I also wanted to keep 9/11 actively in the thoughts and minds of people and keep them informed that 9/11 not only affected thousands on that day but there are thousands of people sick and suffering today because of their work at Ground Zero.”
Before running in the annual Tunnel to Towers Run & Walk (2017 was her second year fundraising for T2T), Jacqueline participated in the 9/11 Memorial Museum 5K for three years, raising over $5,000. However, she now feels that Tunnel to Towers is the right foundation for her, citing T2T’s generosity with families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty, as well as its support of injured service members needing custom homes.
Jacqueline uses common methods to raise funds. She uses Facebook to share her fundraising page, and utilizes her NYPD network of friends and supporters to spread the word though emails and posters. She typically includes photos of Luis so others can see the devastating effects of his 9/11 illness in hope that they can form a connection with her story. Each time a donation is made, Jacqueline sends a personal thank you via email.
She also carries out her fundraising initiatives for Scott Vasel of Park Ridge, N.J. On September 10, 2001, Scott started a job at the World Trade Center as a disaster recovery specialist with Marsh & McLennan. He lost his life on just his second day with the company, leaving behind a wife and two young children.
Like most other fundraisers, Jacqueline believes in word of mouth. “If you’re looking to begin fundraising, make your story known to others,” she said. “Help them understand what the Tunnel to Towers organization is all about and how much it does for first responders and veterans around the country.”

More Volunteers

Mike Masters is a retired Army psychologist with over 50 years of counseling experience. He began volunteering with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in 2019 by offering his professional tele-counseling services to Gold Star and Fallen First Responder widows and their families who are grappling with grief and stress. Mike shared that he felt a heavenly calling to offer his counseling services to our home recipients after watching one of Tunnel to Towers' PSAs that featured our Gold Star home recipient Jennie Taylor. Mike Masters had served in the Utah National Guard with her hero husband fallen U.S. Army Major Brent Taylor who was killed on November 3, 2018 during his fourth deployment to Afghanistan in an apparent insider attack. Recently, Mike has expanded his role to becoming an Ambassador for Tunnel to Towers.

Mike Masters

Michelle Chernyavsky is a high school student and avid volunteer with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation— the preeminent 9/11 charity organization that was founded from the tragedy of that day to honor the sacrifice of the Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) Firefighter Stephen Siller, who gave his life while saving others on 9/11. Michelle has been a volunteer with Tunnel to Towers since March 2021 with the In the Line of Duty Program when she was just 13 years old, learning about the Foundation through her family. The In the Line of Duty Program consists of the Smart Home program, the Fallen First Responder Program, and the Gold Star Program. After learning about our mission, she wanted to make a positive impact in the lives of the people that we help. The In the Line of Duty Program administrators communicate directly with Tunnel to Towers’ home recipients, and Michelle displays sincere care and compassion for each of our program participants. Some of Michelle’s tasks include writing handwritten birthday cards, holiday cards, Line of Duty Death anniversary cards, and packaging personalized gifts to our home recipients. She takes careful care and consideration into each handwritten note that is sent out to them. Michelle initially volunteered to fulfill the required community service hours for her school, and though she had been offered other opportunities to volunteer she chose Tunnel to Towers above all other opportunities. Michelle wanted to join in on our mission to do good and help the families with young children of America’s heroes and also help our nation’s most catastrophically injured veterans. Although she fulfilled her required community service hours for the school year in June 2021, she continued to volunteer at Tunnel to Towers twice a week through the summer months and has far exceeded the required amount of community service hours for this school year. Michelle has completed over 200 hours volunteering with the Foundation. Michelle recognizes the value in every task that she undertakes, and she takes her volunteer role very seriously at Tunnel to Towers. She has been dubbed the “Volunteer of the Year” for the In the Line of Duty team; Michelle is an asset to the home recipient program administrators, putting her heart into her work while bringing a positive attitude each and every day that she comes in.

Michelle Chernyavsky

Megan Coll, Edward Coll, and Henry Coll are three cousins that will be running in the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 7th, 2021 in memory of Robert Coll— a loving father to his daughter Megan and fun-loving uncle to Edward and Henry, who was killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Robert’s daughter and two nephews formed “Team Woody” for the marathon, which is Robert’s nickname given to him by his colleagues he worked with at the One World Trade Center. They are running and fundraising on behalf of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation— the preeminent 9/11 charity organization that was founded to honor the sacrifice of Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) Firefighter Stephen Siller, who gave his life while saving others on 9/11. Robert Coll worked as a stock broker on the 81st floor of the South Tower. On September 11, 2001, he was last seen on the 80th floor of the building rendering aid to a woman who was in respiratory distress. Robert, along with a close friend and colleague, gave up their lives trying to save this woman who needed help and, sadly, they all perished that day. Megan was only two years old when she lost her father on 9/11, and she had to learn about who her father was through the stories of his friends and family; Robert was described to her as a man who was caring, fun-loving, the life of the party, and a person who was always willing to lend a hand to those who needed him. Henry and Edward, Robert’s nephews, described their heroic uncle as a “jokester” and the “light of the family”.“Losing our uncle was truly a tragic loss to our family”, they said. Robert came from a family of nine, and was one of two boys. Megan, Edward, and Henry have participated in the annual Tunnel to Towers New York City 5K Run & Walk several times in the past, and they have been familiar with the Foundation’s mission for a while. This year, they banded together and decided that they would to fundraise for a charity dedicated to ensuring America never forgets the great tragedy of the attacks on September 11, 2001— America’s Darkest Day. These three cousins are an active trio, and the three of them exercise regularly. Participating in this year’s marathon has a deeper meaning for them: they are commemorating the hallmark year of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, as well the 50th anniversary of the TCS New York City Marathon, and running in memory of Robert Coll makes this a momentous event for them. All three cousins plan to stay involved with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and they are looking forward to participating in future events.

The Coll Family

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