by ROB HART
The three Siller sisters are proof positive that tragedy can become a driving force to do good. Armed with the memory of their firefighter sibling, Stephen, who was killed during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, they and their brothers created a charitable foundation in the fallen man's name, raising millions for worthy causes. For that, they were feted yesterday in the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield, during the Advance-sponsored 45th annual Women of Achievement awards luncheon. "I was in good company, not just with my sisters and my family, but with all the other woman who were honored," said Janis Siller Hannan of Livingston. "This is certainly bigger than we could have ever imagined, to accomplish so much in Stephen's name. It's a little chestnut of an idea and it's come to such fruition." Mary Siller Scullin, a Silver Lake resident, added: "We feel so humbled and overwhelmed." "We've been helped by Stephen's spirit, as well as all of those who died on 9/11," said Regina Siller Vogt, Oakwood Heights. "They don't want to be forgotten, and we're not going to forget them." On Sept. 11, 2001, Stephen Siller was on his way to a golf outing with his three older brothers, but upon news of the attacks, made his way to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, jammed with traffic. He ditched his truck, shouldered 80 pounds of gear, and ran through the two-mile long tunnel. He died on the other end, one of 343 firefighters killed that day. His heroic act led the Siller clan to create the Tunnel to Towers Run, which was first held in 2002, to raise money for charities. In the five years since, the run, coupled with their organization, "The Firefighter Stephen Siller -- Let Us Do Good Foundation," has raised millions for causes like Burn Centers Across America, scholarships for needy Islanders and the construction of "Stephen's House" at the New York Foundling in Stapleton, a refuge for orphaned, abused and neglected children. As the Siller sisters were invited to the podium, their entourage of friends, family and volunteers from the foundation broke into uproarious applause. The cheers were led by their three brothers, George, Russ and Frank, who helped create the organization -- and joined the women in raising Stephen, the youngest of seven, when the clan's parents died in the 1970s. And amidst the plaudits, a photograph of Stephen, wearing his FDNY gear and grinning widely, watched over them from television sets around the ballroom.
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