© 2025 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tunnel to Towers Foundation to hold 5K Run/Walk in Utica this month

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation will hold its annual 5K Run/Walk later this month in Utica. The organization supports families of first responders who have died in the line of duty.

Onondaga County Sheriff Lt. Michael Hoosock and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen, both killed in the line of duty in a Syracuse suburb in April, will be honored at this year’s fundraiser. Event Director Phil Trzcinski expects the event, which started in Utica with about 420 participants, will be bigger than ever.

"This year we're expecting 1,300-1,400 participants,” said Trzcinski. “It's grown very large in a short period of time. That's why we made this a regional event so that we can have one large quality event that everybody looks forward to coming to every year, versus having several smaller events that are just kind of scattered within a small geographic area."

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is known for paying off the mortgages for families when a first responder is killed, as was the case of Hoosock.

"So not only were we able to help that family out, but we would help to take that burden off of their shoulders relatively soon after the tragic events in April,” Trzcinski said.

Among those at the event will be members of the Moyers Corners Fire Department, where Hoosock was a former deputy chief. Battalion Chief Nick Eldred says it means a lot to remember a friend killed in the line of duty almost four months ago.

"It's difficult,” Eldred said. “You kind of just take day by day. That's all you can do."

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded by the family of firefighter Stephen Siller, who ran through a tunnel on September 11, 2001, while off-duty, to help in the Twin Towers, where he died.

The CNY Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/Walk will be held August 18.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.