Never Forget Walk will make stop in Shanksville ahead of 9/11 20th anniversary

The foundation that sponsors a 537-mile fundraising trek to pay tribute to the heroes of 9/11 will have a breakfast event Saturday in Shanksville to honor the first responders who heeded the call to respond to the crash of United Flight 93 the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

The annual Never Forget Walk that passes through six states on the way from Washington, D.C., to Shanksville and then on to New York City, began in the nation’s capital on Aug. 2. The trek that follows The Footsteps of the Fallen is the signature event of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

John Siller founded the charity in memory of his brother, New York firefighter Steven Siller, and others who died responding to the call of duty at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Public records show it has raised tens of millions of dollars over the past two decades through events like the annual walk to support first responders, veterans and the families they leave with mortgage-free homes.

This year, Siller said the foundation will host at breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at the Shanksville Fire Hall. New York firefighter John LaBarbera will emcee. The event that marks the upcoming 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks will feature speakers from the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial and the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department.

The breakfast will culminate at 9 a.m. in a 2.7-mile walk to the Flight 93 National Memorial. The foundation will host a ceremony there and place a wreath at the memorial for the families of the Flight 93 passengers and crew and unfurl a 75-foot banner bearing the message “We will never forget” from the FDNY.