Taylor Montgomery donates to Tunnel to Towers Foundation through RSM Birdies Fore Love

Stephen Siller, a dedicated firefighter assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

The youngest of seven children, Siller was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word that a plane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Siller headed immediately to the entrance to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed off for security purposes. Undeterred, he then strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back and ran on foot through the tunnel to assist other first responders at the Twin Towers.

Siller gave his life that day while saving others. He was a devoted family man, leaving behind a wife and five children.

In Siller’s memory, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation was formed in 2002. The organization strives to “do good” by making a positive and lasting impact in the lives of others.

Founded by Siller’s older brother, Frank, the foundation has established many worthwhile programs to benefit our nation’s most deserving heroes.

Tunnel to Towers builds specially adapted smart homes for injured veterans, pays off mortgages for families of first responders who have been killed in the line of duty, and builds homes for Gold Star Families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country.

“My parents had seven kids,” said Frank Siller. “We were very poor, but we were never too poor to do something good for our neighbors. After Sept. 11, so many people were there for our family. It lifts you to know you’re not alone and that people care and are praying for you.

“This is the message that we send to all these great families: We don’t want to just pay off their mortgage or build them a mortgage-free home. We want to be part of their lives,” he continued. “They join us on our mission and are our greatest ambassadors, because they received it, and they want to pay it forward.”

PGA TOUR player Taylor Montgomery shares that same passion and commitment for supporting our service men and women. Montgomery had the opportunity to donate $75,000 to Tunnel to Towers, thanks to his winnings in the RSM Birdies Fore Love competition.

“I’m grateful to support Tunnel to Towers through the RSM Birdies Fore Love program,” said Montgomery. “These funds will go towards valuable programs that continue to serve our nation’s most deserving heroes, including catastrophically injured service members, fallen first responders, and Gold Star families.

“My grandfather was a decorated soldier, so supporting our service members, first responders, and their families has always been important to me,” he added.

Through RSM Birdies Fore Love, the player who accumulates the most birdies (or better) each week during the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Fall will receive a charitable payout to the beneficiary of their choice.

“At RSM, stewardship and giving back is part of who we are,” said Andy Bosman, chief marketing officer with RSM US LLP. “Stewardship has been one of RSM’s core values since our firm was founded in 1926, and RSM Birdies Fore Love has been such an amazing way to continue that tradition of making a difference in our communities. We are thrilled to be able to support such deserving organizations like Tunnel to Towers through RSM Birdies Fore Love.”

Montgomery’s donation will specifically benefit children by helping to provide mortgage free homes to Gold Star families, as part of the foundation’s "In the Line of Duty" program.