How One Manufacturing Company Is Helping First Responders This Memorial Day

May is always met with eager anticipation of warmer weather and vacation anticipation. However, for thousands of military families, it can be a time of sadness and solemnity as they remember their fallen loved ones during the Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day holidays.

One construction industry company is hoping to spread some happiness this summer to those struggling with military-related loss. Packaging and Crating Technologies (PACT), a family-owned carboard-container manufacturing company based in Watertown, Connecticut, will host its second annual Military Hero Program to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

REMEMBERING A HERO

Tunnels to Towers was founded to recognize the valiant life of New York City firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1 and had just finished his shift on Sept. 11, 2001, when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes.

Determined to carry out his duty, Siller strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others. He had everything to live for: a great wife, five wonderful children, a devoted extended family and friends.

To date, Tunnels to Towers has provided more than 600 mortgage-free homes for Gold Star and fallen first-responder families, including specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. More than 500,000 participants have supported the organization’s 80-plus national walk, run and climb fundraisers.

PACT TO GIVE BACK

Since its inception in 2005, PACT has developed strong ties to all branches of the armed forces—a key industry sector that utilizes the company’s packaging containers to support service personnel who are continually moving to and from posts around the world. From May 1 to July 4, the company will donate 1% of sales proceeds from its entire line of moving and storage crates to Tunnels to Towers, and hopes to exceed last year’s $7,200 fundraising amount.

In addition to its involvement with Tunnels to Towers and its close work with the U.S. military, PACT is a preferred vendor for the U.S. Department of Defense and has been awarded a special permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the shipping of lithium-ion batteries, as well as passed the proposed SAE-G-27 test standard.