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Overhead Door™ Brand Partners with
Tunnel to Towers Foundation:

Honoring Heroes Through Smart Home Program Sponsorship

In the heart of every veteran’s home is a narrative of resilience, bravery and hope. Overhead Door™ Brand, a leading manufacturer of residential and commercial door solutions, is immensely proud to weave its story with the exemplary mission of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, since its very inception, has been a beacon of gratitude and remembrance, dedicated to honoring the indomitable spirit of New York firefighter Stephen Siller, and the countless of other brave souls who laid down their lives on September 11, 2001. The foundation is firmly committed to providing secure housing for the families of catastrophically injured military personnel and first responders.

Integral to this mission is the Foundation's Smart Home Program, aimed at building specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes for severely injured veterans and first responders, empowering them to regain their independence. As a Tunnel to Towers Foundation Smart Home Program sponsor, Overhead Door™ Brand provides state-of-the-art garage doors and wifi-enabled openers that elevate the framework of eight homes across the country with smart technology. With a remarkable blend of aesthetic appeal, durability and advanced operator technology, Overhead Door™ Brand's garage doors deliver security and convenience to these American heroes and their families.

United States Air Force SMSgt Israel Del Toro Jr.'s story exemplifies the transformative capability of this initiative. On December 4, 2005, tragedy struck when his Humvee was hit by an IED, subjecting him to severe burns covering over 80% of his body. Despite being given a mere 15% chance of survival, SMSgt Del Toro Jr., often referred to as "DT," is doing well in his new home. Not only did he re-enlist in the Air Force, but he also clinched a gold medal at the 2016 Invictus Games. Today, he uses his experience to inspire others, guiding them to discover hope in the bleakest of moments.

Overhead Door™ Brand District Sales Manager Erick Williams speaks at the dedication of DT's home,

thanking DT for his service and Overhead Door Company of Colorado Springs™ for the installation.

For DT, the smart home by Tunnel to Towers offers a renewed lease on life. Located in Colorado, this residence is specially designed to cater to his unique needs, including a new Overhead Door™ Brand garage door, complete with a Legacy® 920 garage door opener equipped with OHD Anywhere® to help him access his home easily.

Another testament to this program's impact is the story of Corporal David Tupper. Inspired by the events of September 11th, Tupper enlisted in the Army in December 2001. While he briefly left the Army in 2003, he re-enlisted in the Marines the next year. Four combat tours and countless challenges later, including an IED attack and an RPG strike in Afghanistan that rendered him paralyzed, Cpl Tupper's undying spirit remains a beacon of perseverance.

Cpl Tupper proudly carries the new “key” to his home.
A special “thank you” to Overhead Door Company of Raleigh™ for donating your time and effort for the installation!

In 2023, Tunnel to Towers Foundation ushered Cpl Tupper and his family into a new chapter, gifting them a smart home in North Carolina. Overhead Door™ Brand contributed its residential garage door solutions equipped with OHD Anywhere® , ensuring that the Tupper family enjoys easy access and operation of their garage.

Army Sergeant First Class Sualauvi Tuimaleali'ifano receives a warm welcome to his new Smart Home with his family.

Another deserving recipient is U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Sualauvi Tuimaleali’ifano, a three-time combat veteran, who despite being paralyzed from his chest down due to combat wounds, has shown resilience in adversity. Overhead Door™ Brand joined the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in welcoming this American hero and celebrated Team USA Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medalist to his family’s brand-new home at The Let Us Do Good Village in Land O’Lakes, Florida. The community was created by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and will house more than 100 families through the Smart Home Program.

Owner Bob Briesacher of Overhead Door Company of Tampa Bay™ (left) speaks at the Tunnel to Towers Dedication of the Tuimaleali’ifano home.

Across the nation, local Overhead Door™ Brand installers donned the Red Ribbon logo with pride while helping the Tunnel to Towers Foundation bring veterans’ new homes to fruition.

Jeremy Harris, vice president and general manager of Sales for Overhead Door™ Brand, expressed his pride and gratitude. "The Red Ribbon is honored to play a small part in supporting these heroes, by providing them with our advanced garage door systems. Our local distributors, who generously provided labor for the installations, deserve immense thanks.”

Frank Siller, the Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, mirrored this sentiment, praising Overhead Door™ Brand for its contributions. “These doors not only add a beautiful finishing touch but change lives,” he commented.