Merkel Furniture and Carpet helping 'Building for America's Bravest' program

Tim Merkel, owner, Tony Archer, sales manager, Diane Holley of Mohawk Carpet, Fred Zuidveld, owner and Charlie Gussman, retired battalion chief and the commemorative World Trade Towers shadowbox containing a piece of the towers. — Tim Merkel, owner, Tony Archer, sales manager, Diane Holley of Mohawk Carpet, Fred Zuidveld, owner, and Charlie Gussman, retired battalion chief, inside Merkel Furniture and Carpet with the commemorative World Trade Towers shadowbox containing a piece of the towers.

Merkel Furniture and Carpet can proudly say they are not only part of a nation-wide program called Building for America’s Bravest but also a permanent home for a commemorative shadowbox that contains a piece of the World Trade Towers.

A closeup of the shadowbox that's on display at Merkel Carpet. — A closeup of the shadowbox that’s on display at Merkel Carpet.

The program raises funds to build custom-designed, specially-adapted smart homes for the most catastrophically injured American service members, said Ret. Battalion Chief Charlie Gussman.

Gussman is a volunteer for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which helps to raise funds to build the homes and help other people who have suffered catastrophic losses.

The smart homes are supported by companies including Carpet One and Mohawk Carpet as well as through private donations. And you can help as well by stopping by Merkel’s and making a tax-deductible donation. Look for the special box with and American flag on top found inside the downtown store.

Look for this box inside Merkel Furniture and Carpet to make a donation to the Building for America's Bravest program. — Look for this box inside Merkel Furniture and Carpet to make a donation to the Building for America’s Bravest program.

Tuesday afternoon, Gussman presented owners and employees of Merkel Furniture and Carpets with the shadowbox as part of a Carpet One and Mohawk Carpet fundraising project.

He told employees that on Sept. 11, 2001, firefighter Steven Siller lost his life trying to help others. Siller had just finished a late shift at Squad 1, Park Slope, Brooklyn, N.Y. when his scanner alerted him of the first plane hitting the Twin Towers. He turned around and returned to get his gear and drove his truck to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.

The tunnel was already closed, Gussman said, so he strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back, and ran on foot through the tunnel to the twin Towers to help. Siller perished during his efforts and his truck was found on the other side of the tunnel.

A fundraising run, which attracts more than 20,000 participants in New York City, takes place in Siller’s honor as a way to never forget what he and others did that harrowing day.

The route follows the about 3-mile one that Siller took that fateful day and participants go through the tunnel and when they emerge, they are greeted by firefighters with portraits of fallen firefighters on one side and firefighters waving American flags on the other.

The Building for America’s Bravest program is just one program of the foundation and has built more than 20 custom-equipped homes across the nation. Carpet One has donated the flooring and installation for the special homes.

Gussman said he is one of about 18-20 volunteers who are traveling across the country to the about 750 Carpet One stores as a thank you for their support of the program.