5th Annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Raises Nearly $10,000

The City of Palm Coast’s 5th Annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/Walk was held Saturday April 18, at Central Park in Town Center, with over 400 participants taking part in the event. Nearly $10,000 was raised for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports families of fallen first responders and military service personnel, homeless veterans, catastrophically wounded heroes and much more.

The organization, which was founded by Frank Siller after 9/11, honors the memory of his brother Stephen Siller, who was among the 343 firefighters who perished at the World Trade Center while attempting to save others. The Palm Coast event was founded by Patrick Appolonia of the city’s Communications and Marketing team in 2022 - blending the aspects of a traditional 5K with a pre-race ceremony that emphasizes the importance of our first responders and military personnel.

“At its core, this event is truly rooted in bringing the community together – from the tremendous efforts of our loyal volunteers and participants to our amazing Parks and Recreation team, and our heroes in both the Palm Coast Fire Department and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office – it’s a real team effort year after year” Appolonia says. “It’s great to see people from all walks of life come together to support those that keep us safe.”

At the pre-race ceremony, two Tunnel to Towers’ “Follow the Footsteps” awards were presented to community members who exemplify the spirit of Stephen Siller and our 9/11 heroes who perished.  Oviedo resident Michael Hall, who travels the state running to honor fallen heroes, including Flagler County K-9 Deputy Kyro, who died in the line of duty last year, was presented with the Youth Follow the Footsteps award. Additionally, the family of the late Robert “Sparky” MacDonald, a longtime Palm Coast resident who was a strong supporter of the Palm Coast Fire Department and Tunnel to Towers 5K each year, were presented with a Follow the Footsteps award in his honor.

The 6th annual Tunnel to Towers event will return to Palm Coast next Spring. The official date will be announced in late 2026. For more information on all upcoming city events, visit palmcoast.gov/events

View the photo album from the event here.

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