It was announced last week that the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation will donate $100,000 to help pay off the mortgage of slain Deputy U.S. Marshal Christopher David Hill, a York County resident and an Army veteran, 1993-96.

Hill was fatally shot earlier this month as he and fellow U.S. Marshals were serving an arrest warrant in Harrisburg. York City Police Officer Kyle Pitts was also shot in the elbow and a Harrisburg City officer escaped serious injury when a bullet was stopped by his ballistic vest.

State Sen. Mike Regan called Hill one of the “best of the best” as a U.S. Marshal and a “welcoming” person who others gravitated toward.

A day after the shooting, Frank Siller of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced at a news conference the donation to help Hill’s widow and two small children.

The nonprofit group is named for Frank’s brother, Stephen, a New York City firefighter who was killed saving people in the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

He told how Deputy Hill, like his brother, had sacrificed everything for their communities. He said that being part of the marshals service’s special operations unit was an elite honor and that marshals were constantly put in dangerous situations.

“What an American hero,” Siller said of Hill’s sacrifice.

In explaining the motivation for the foundation’s gift, Siller said he knew it was “our duty and obligation” to make sure that the families left behind are cared for.

“We must, as a nation, come together to make sure that we say to these families: ‘If your husband or your wife go out and protect our streets and our neighborhoods and our country, that if something happens to them, that we, as Americans, are going to take care of the family left behind,’ ” Siller said.

His sentiments were echoed by U.S. Attorney Dave Freed, who said that the Hills lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother far too soon, and that the community lost a hero who was doing nothing more than his duty.

Siller has drawn strength from the memory of his brother, whose legacy was built in sacrificing for others.

A Brooklyn firefighter, Stephen Siller was on his way to play golf with his brothers after his late shift ended on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

After hearing news of the attack on the twin towers in Manhattan, he called his wife, Sally, to tell her he would be late because he had to help those in need.

After getting his gear at the station, he drove his truck to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it was already closed to traffic.

With 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back, he ran through the tunnel, hoping to meet up with his own company at the ground zero site.

Since then, the Siller Family has honored his legacy with the Tunnel to Towers Run which supports children of firefighter or military personnel who have been seriously injured and sacrificed their quality of life in the line of duty.

Tunnel to Towers Foundation also features a Building for America’s Bravest program which builds mortgage-free smart homes for the most catastrophically injured service members. Each home is custom designed to address the unique needs of each individual, allowing them to live better, more independent lives.

In a fast-paced society where so many people seem obsessed with their own instant gratification, it’s refreshing to see victims of personal tragedy being helped by individuals and foundations like Tunnel to Towers.

Their selfless act of reaching out to surviving family members of those who have sacrificed so much for our country brings to mind a quote by an unknown author: “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com