The donation is the first installment of the proceeds from the Honoring Our Heroes die-cast program and will go toward the construction of a “smart home” for wounded United States Marine Todd Nicely.
RICHMOND, VA. (SEPTEMBER 9, 2011) – Today at Richmond International Raceway, NASCAR drivers David Gilliland, Danica Patrick, Greg Biffle, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. joined Howard Hitchcock, Vice President of Lionel NASCARR Collectables (LNC), to present a $125 thousand check to Mary Siller Scullin, Vice Chairman of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and sister of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller.
Scullin was joined by U.S. Army Specialist Brendan Marrocco and U.S.M.C. Corporal Todd Nicely. Marrocco and Nicely are the first two Americans to survive the loss of both arms and both legs in combat. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation has earmarked this donation to be used for the construction of a customized “smart home” for Nicely. The construction of Marrocco’s smart home was finished in June.
“It’s not every day that you get to do something so important for America’s finest heroes on an anniversary that’s so meaningful to our country,” said Hitchcock. “I’m proud of our team – we worked extremely hard to put the Honoring Our Heroes program together and we hope this donation and the funds that follow it will go a long way toward finishing Todd’s new home.”
The check is the first installment of the proceeds from LNC’s “Honoring Our Heroes” die-cast program. A total of eight drivers will run special “Honoring Our Heroes” cars at Richmond this weekend. Each car takes the track in honor of those who lost their lives in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and also our nation’s military heroes. This donation also includes proceeds from die-cast sales of John Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage/Honoring Our Heroes Ford Mustang Funny Car which will race at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway on Sept. 16-18.
“When we first talked to Lionel NASCAR about the possibility of drivers racing with our Foundation’s name on their cars, we had no idea it would be this big,” said Scullin. “Today, as I see these drivers and all these cars I am overwhelmed with emotion. On September 11, 2001, my brother Stephen sacrificed his life for his fellow Americans and he would be honored to know that his legacy is making such a difference in the lives of young men like Brendan and Todd.”
After the check presentation, Scullin presented a small piece of metal debris from the World Trade Center to each driver in attendance. Every piece is stamped with “W.T.C. 9/11 Never Forget” and the number “343” in honor of the 343 firefighters who died on Sept. 11, 2001. Each team’s crew has agreed to guard the metal in their pit box on race day.
“It’s such an honor to drive the ‘Honoring Our Heroes’ Ford Fusion and to be a part of the effort to help these veterans who gave so much for us. It is absolutely my privilege to meet Brendan and Todd here at Richmond and to thank them for everything they’ve given up – literally – for our country,” said Gilliland. “I just feel so proud to be driving that car in Stephen’s honor and to have a piece of the World Trade Center on our pit box during the race Saturday night.”
Tonight, Danica Patrick, Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. will race “Honoring Our Heroes” cars in the Nationwide Series race. David Gilliland, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray will race “Honoring Our Heroes” cars in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series race.
“This truly is a weekend of remembrance for Americans everywhere,” said JR Motorsports driver Patrick. “I think a lot of people will remember this anniversary in their own way, but for me, it’s an absolute privilege to be part of the Honoring our Heroes program this weekend. It’s a testament to the entire NASCAR community that so many drivers and teams have embraced the importance of this program.”
Also, on Sept. 17 at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway, NHRA superstar and reigning 15-time champion John Force will race the Castrol GTX High Mileage/Honoring Our Heroes Ford Mustang Funny Car. Force’s car will also feature the Tunnel to Towers Foundation logo. A portion of proceeds from all die-cast sold will be donated to the Foundation.
Following the events at Richmond and Charlotte, Lionel NASCAR Collectables will take part in the 2011 Tunnel to Towers Run on Sept. 25. Tunnel to Towers is an annual run in Manhattan hosted by the Foundation in which thousands of runners and walkers retrace the steps of Stephen Siller, an FDNY firefighter who ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, carrying 75 pounds of gear on his back, to rescue his fellow New Yorkers. This year for the first time, Tunnel to Towers Runs will be held in cities nationwide as a way to mark the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. Danica Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com/GetYour.Net Chevrolet and the No. 10 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Show Car will be on display at the run.
Lionel NASCAR Collectables is also the title sponsor of the Charlotte Tunnel to Towers run which will start at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 on Hamilton Street in downtown Charlotte. A group of LNC staffers will run and be on hand to share information about the Honoring Our Heroes program. Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com/GetYour.Net Chevrolet will also be on display.
For hi-res images and more information about the die-cast replicas of each “Honoring Our Heroes” car, please visit www.rccamembers.com/911story.
For more information about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, please visit www.tunneltotowersrun.org http://www.tunneltotowersrun.org/ .
About Lionel NASCARR Collectables
The official die-cast of NASCAR, Lionel NASCARR Collectables is the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed die-cast race cars. A joint venture with the NASCARR Team Properties and Lionel Electric Trains, LNC makes and sells replica die-cast race cars through a variety of channels, including Corporate, National Accounts, trackside, online, a network of specialty dealers and the Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA). Made up of a group of experienced merchants, artists, sales people and support staff, LNC has its pulse on the racing community and is committed to giving fans the very best in die-cast collectable cars. LNC is based in Concord, NC. For more information about Lionel NASCARR Collectables, please visit the Web site at www.lionelnascarcollectables.com. Follow Lionel NASCARR Collectables on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lionelnascar and Twitter @LionelNASCAR.
About The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation is a charitable organization set up to follow in the footsteps of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, carrying 75 pounds of gear on his back, to rescue his fellow New Yorkers. Siller lost his life when the towers collapsed, leaving his wife, five children and siblings to carry on his memory and share his story. One of the primary missions of The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation is to honor the military members who have been seriously injured and sacrificed their quality of life in the line of duty. The Foundation currently is in the process of building smart homes for three servicemen, Brendan Marrocco, Todd Nicely and John Peck, who as a result of suffering devastating injuries are quadruple amputees. Additionally, the Foundation actively supports children who have lost a parent in combat as well as assisting seriously injured firefighters. To find out more about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, please visit http://www.tunneltotowersrun.org/.
