Lionel NASCAR Collectables to be Title Sponsor of Charlotte Tunnel to Towers Run

CONCORD, NC (AUGUST 24, 2011) – Lionel NASCAR Collectables (LNC) announced today that it will be the title sponsor of the Charlotte Tunnel to Towers Run, which takes place on September 10, 2011 in downtown Charlotte.

The 5K run honors the memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller and all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.  Ten years ago, Siller ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center towers 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.

Money raised by those running will benefit both the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and also local charity The Firefighter Steven Coakley Foundation.

“The story of Stephen Siller has become very personal to our employees,” said Howard Hitchcock, Vice President of Lionel NASCAR Collectables. “We have been honored to partner with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation on the NASCAR side and now we’re equally honored to be actively involved in the Charlotte Tunnel to Towers run where we all live and work.”

As part of the sponsorship, LNC will bring the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation show car and Danica Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy GetYour.Net Chevrolet to the run on September 10.  “Honoring Our Heroes” die-cast cars will also be available for purchase. A large portion of the proceeds from the sale of each die-cast will benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s efforts to build homes for USMC Corporal Todd Nicely and USMC Corporal John Peck, two of only three Americans to survive losing four limbs in combat.

That same weekend at Richmond International Raceway, several of NASCAR’s biggest stars will race special “Honoring Our Heroes” cars in both the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races.  Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle, David Gilliland, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Danica Patrick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tony Stewart will drive in honor of Stephen Siller and those who died in the attacks of 10 years ago.

On September 17 at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway, NHRA superstar and reigning 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 and proceeds from all die-cast sold will be donated to the Foundation.

Following the events at Charlotte and Richmond, Lionel NASCAR Collectables will take part in the 10th annual Tunnel to Towers Run on September 25 in New York City. Nearly 30 thousand people are expected to participate in this run that retraces Siller’s exact steps as he ran to the towers to save his fellow Americans.  Danica Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy GetYour.Net Chevrolet and the No. 10 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Show Car will be on display at the run.