Part of the Staten Island soccer contingent
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
October 10, 2019-The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL) and Staten Island Soccer Club, the SIYSL travel program, registered 35 players and 31 adults for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk on September 29 in New York City. The groups raised $1,940 for the non-profit organization Stephen Sillers Tunnel to Towers Foundation, whose work benefits first responders and catastrophically-injured service members.
”I must say that having Liz Morano get the Staten Island Soccer Club involved with the Tunnel to Towers run was a great call. She always puts us in the places we need to be make sure the league and clubs do the right thing,” commented SIYSL President Bill Smith. ”It was a great feeling finishing the run. I want to see if we can avoid scheduling any games on Staten Island the day of the run next year to have more people in the league and club come out for this great cause.”
SIYSL President Bill Smith on left with First Vice President Rob Libertelli
The run and walk symbolizes Stephen Siller’s final footsteps from the foot of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (formerly known as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) to the Twin Towers Site, and pays homage to the 343 FDNY firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
That tragic day, Stephen, who was assigned to FDNY Squad 1 in Brooklyn, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Upon hearing the news, Stephen called his wife Sally and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later. He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear.
Stephen drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back, and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.
Stephen’s life and heroic death serve as a reminder to us all to live life to the fullest and to spend our time here on earth doing good.
With approximately 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.
Part of the course