For millions of people around the world, the awful events on Sept. 11, 2001, are still in their mind’s eye.

It’s especially true for employees of Peerless Umbrella (asi/76730), many of whom stood on the roof of the company’s Newark, NJ, facility on that crystal blue morning and watched the twin towers collapse from across the Hudson River.

“It’s very personal for Peerless,” said Katie Kailik, director of sales. “The company lost a team member that day who was also a window washer in Manhattan.”

This year, the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks, is especially poignant. And Peerless wanted to mark the observance in a special way.

FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, a first responder who perished on Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, is honored during a recent Tunnel to Towers event. Peerless Umbrella (asi/76730) will donate proceeds to T2T from now through Sept. 30 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

To that end, the supplier of lifestyle items is donating proceeds from sales of its Americana collection of patriotic-themed Igloo coolers and umbrellas to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation now through Sept. 30.

T2T, a Staten Island, NY-based charitable organization, was founded immediately after 9/11 by Frank Siller, the current chairman and CEO, in honor of his brother, New York Firefighter Stephen Siller, a husband and father of five children. When firefighters across the city were called to an emergency at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Siller’s route was blocked – the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, also known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, is a critical artery that normally links Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan under the Hudson River, but was closed that morning to vehicle traffic due to massive first responder activity.

Instead of turning around and searching for an alternative way, Siller ditched his truck and ran 3 miles through the tunnel with 60 pounds of gear on his back to the World Trade Center. He lost his life that day when the towers collapsed.

Proceeds from Peerless Umbrella’s (asi/76730) Americana collection will go to the T2T Foundation now through Sept. 30. Clockwise from top left: the 43” folding umbrella (2353USA), 62” golf umbrella (2418USA), Igloo Trailmate 50-Quart Cooler (AME050), Igloo Trailmate 52-Quart Roller Cooler (AME052), Igloo 80-oz. Party Jug (AME080) and Igloo Trailmate 36-Can Cooler Bag (AME036).

The foundation also honors Captain Billy Burke of FDNY’s Engine 21, who lost his life when he chose to stay behind in the doomed north tower with stranded civilians.

The organization founded in honor of Siller and Burke, as well as the 343 FDNY firefighters who gave their lives at the World Trade Center, now has a special multipronged mission: to build mortgage-free smart homes across the country for critically injured first responders and Gold Star families, pay off mortgages for families who’ve lost a loved one in the line of duty, offer full scholarships to dependent children and provide much-needed resources and housing for veterans experiencing homelessness, called Veterans Villages.

“This is a way to offer even more support to this amazing organization,” said Kailik.

T2T has also become known for its popular annual fundraisers, like the T2T 5K Run & Walk in New York City and the Tower Climb at One World Observatory that now stands immediately next to the twin towers’ footprints, which have become the 9/11 Memorial & Museum – both T2T events, along with others during the year, commemorate Siller’s final steps through the tunnel to the World Trade Center complex and Burke’s sacrifice at the north tower.

Visit peerlessumbrella.com/heroes to shop the Americana collection.

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