Tunnels to Towers Mid-November 2026: New Orleans' First 5K, a Record NYC Marathon, and Sacramento on Nov 14

New Orleans' First Tunnel to Towers 5K: Done

The inaugural Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk New Orleans took place on Sunday, November 1, 2026, starting at 8:30 a.m. at Marrero Harvey Fire Station 81 (808 MacArthur Avenue, Harvey, Louisiana) and finishing with festivities at the Gretna ferry landing. The event honors FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who strapped on his gear and ran through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, and whose story launched the foundation. Local coverage previewed the race as New Orleans' first T2T 5K, a milestone for a city that understands service and sacrifice.

Every registration fee and dollar raised at these events funds the foundation's core work: paying off mortgages for fallen first responders and military heroes, building smart-home adaptive housing for catastrophically injured veterans, and eradicating veteran homelessness through its Veterans Villages.

A Record-Breaking NYC Marathon

On the same November 1, the TCS New York City Marathon made history: it became the first marathon ever to exceed 60,000 finishers, according to NYRR's announcement on November 2, 2026. Among them was the Tunnels to Towers Foundation's charity team, whose runners raised money for mortgage-free homes across the country.

Two of the foundation's top fundraisers stand out. Michael O'Malley raised $18,109, and Dennis Levasseur raised $16,513. Levasseur, a first responder deployed to New York City with Massachusetts Task Force 1 after the 9/11 attacks, finished in 6:40:42, honoring the 9/11 victims and the 13 fallen members of his task force. That is what this mission looks like: people who served, running for people who gave everything.

The 343 Commitment Continues

This 25th-anniversary year, the foundation is carrying out its 343 Commitment: 343 mortgage payoffs and mortgage-free homes in 2026, honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters lost on September 11, 2001. Fifty-five payoffs were announced on September 11 alone, and the pace has continued through the fall for the families of fallen first responders and military heroes. Combined with its Veterans Villages, the foundation has now delivered more than 2,000 mortgage-free homes over its 25-year history.

Each payoff is a promise kept to a family that sacrificed. For hero families, a paid-off mortgage means stability: a roof that cannot be taken away, a place where children finish school and parents grieve without the weight of a payment. That is why I have supported this mission for years and share these updates with my community.

November 14: The Sacramento 5K, Close to Home

California families get their turn on Saturday, November 14, 2026, when the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Sacramento starts at 9:00 a.m. at William Land Park, 3800 Land Park Drive, Sacramento. Registration runs about $10 to $35 at t2t.org, making it one of the most accessible ways to run or walk for the mission this fall.

For those who cannot make Sacramento, the foundation's work continues across the season, and runners and donors anywhere can support a hero family. Veterans of every era call Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties home, and the need for stable housing does not stop at state lines.

Why This Matters to Southern California

Every mortgage payoff and every Veterans Village unit is funded by runners, walkers, donors, and communities across the country, including right here in Southern California. In late October alone, the foundation broke ground on the Northfield, New Jersey Veterans Village and opened the Southfield Veteran Village in Michigan, and California's own heroes benefit from the same mission.

I am honored to help hero families buy and sell homes through my own work, and I am proud to share the foundation's progress. If you cannot run or donate, you can still make a difference: share the mission, volunteer at a local event, or simply thank a veteran in your neighborhood. Service Before Self is a philosophy, and it works best when it is shared.

How You Can Help

• Run or walk: The Sacramento 5K is Saturday, November 14 at William Land Park. Registration is open at t2t.org.
• Donate: Every dollar goes toward mortgage payoffs and Veterans Villages. One-time and monthly giving both move the mission.
• Fundraise: Join a future race team or start your own campaign. Teams raised hundreds of thousands for hero families in 2026.
• Spread the word: A share, a story, or a conversation about the foundation's work reaches someone who needs it.

Frequently Asked Questions