Deputy Chief Michael Fahy's Memory Honored With Fundraising Initiative
October 6, 2016
On Thursday, October 6, Fiona Fahy, wife of fallen Deputy Chief Michael Fahy, and Firefighters from Battalion 19, Engine 75, Ladder 33 were joined by Frank Siller, Chairman and C.E.O. of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, to announce a major fundraising initiative to help catastrophically injured service members.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation announced it is raising funds to build “smart homes” for injured service members in Chief Fahy’s memory. These homes are built with the goal of helping returning veterans who have suffered injuries, including those who have lost limbs in combat.
“We do this because we want to try to alleviate some of the burden, some of the pressure that these families have because they are going through so much,” said Frank Siller. “It’s a little way to say thank you for the sacrifice of your loved one.”
The Siller Foundation had initially approached the Fahy family with the goal of paying the mortgage for the family’s home, as they have done previously for NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos and Inwood, NY Firefighter Joseph Sanford Jr., all who were killed in the line of duty. Mrs. Fahy instead asked that funds raised be used to support the members and families of the United States Armed Forces, because she said Chief Fahy “had such a deep, deep respect for the members of our Armed Forces, and he appreciated the large and small sacrifices that these heroes and their families make on a daily basis.”
The week before his death, the Fahy’s had watched a television show titled For the Love of Their Brother, the story of the Stephen Siller Foundation. They had decided the Siller Foundation would be the perfect charity for a family service project.
“Mike used to tell the kids and explain ‘Freedom is not free,” said Mrs. Fahy. “It helps me on some level to know that Mike’s sacrifice is, in fact, appreciated. On behalf of the Fahy family and our FDNY family, I am pleased that the Stephen Siller Foundation will raise funds in Mike’s name to support Building for America’s Bravest, a program to build smart homes for our most catastrophically injured service members. We need people willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect us on a daily basis — our Police Officers, our Firefighters and the members of the Armed Services.”
Mrs. Fahy added, “Our family has been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of friends and strangers alike. We believe that it would be a fitting tribute to our Mike to raise funds for another hero in his name.”
Dozens of Firefighters and Fire Officers who worked with Chief Fahy were in attendance for this announcement.
“The Siller Foundation is such a great organization and we owe them a debt of gratitude,” said Chief of Department James Leonard. “Mike Fahy lived as a hero on this job, died as a hero on this job, and will never ever be forgotten in this job."
The Siller Foundation is named for FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who was one of 343 FDNY members killed on September 11, 2001. That day, Stephen, who was assigned to Squad 1 in Brooklyn, had just finished his shift, and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word of the first plane hitting the Twin Towers over his scanner. Upon hearing the news, Stephen called his wife Sally and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later, and 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.
For more information about the organization and the announcement, visit http://tunnel2towers.org/.