An Unforgettable Finale to a Successful Fundraising Campaign!

-PACT PRESENTS $7,200 CHECK TO TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION-

Summer is typically a time when businesses slow down or go on furlough.  Not so with Connecticut’s corrugated moving container manufacturer Packaging And Crating Technologies, LLC (PACT), which created a grassroots fundraising opportunity for the Tunnel to Towers (T2T) Foundation that ran from Memorial Day until the 4th of July based on sales of its popular LiftVan product line, the most in-demand moving and shipping crate used by the military.  On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the Watertown-based company presented a $7,200 check to the national charity that directly benefits American military veterans and first responders, especially those involved with the 9/11 NYC tragedy, at its company headquarters.

“Summer is the prime season for moving within all branches of the military, so we anticipated a positive result, but are ecstatic that our small, family-owned business was able to raise thousands of dollars for such a great cause that helps our wounded war heroes who are still struggling long after their service on the battlefronts and in their daily line of duty,” said Rodger Mort, Chief Operating Officer at PACT.

The T2T Foundation provides mortgage-free homes for America’s catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, Gold Star and fallen first responder families.

One of those families is the reason the Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded. Firefighter Stephen Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift 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, he strapped 60 lbs. 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. Siller had everything to live for; a great wife, five wonderful children, a devoted extended family, and friends.

To date, the Foundation has provided over 1,000 mortgage-free homes for these American heroes and the families they leave behind. Over 500,000 participants have supported the organization’s 80+ national walk, run and climb fundraisers.

“We are extremely grateful for the effort made by our neighbor to the North – PACT,” said Cahill Zoeller, Senior Manager of Development at T2T.  “In an incredibly real way, each dollar donated helps take a huge financial burden off our many beneficiary families.”

Besides a crowd of PACT employees, the check donation ceremony featured four members of the Watertown Police Department, including its K-9 unit.

“We have strong ties to the military both professionally and personally and it’s our privilege to give back to the heroes and their families who have given our country so much,” concludes Mort.  “We look forward to orchestrating another successful fundraiser for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation next year!”

PACT adheres to a lean and green manufacturing process by specializing in low inventory volumes based on market demand and quick turnaround times with its off-the-shelf and customized, eco-friendly packaging solutions. For a demo on the ease of assembling a PACT LiftVan shipping container, visit: https://www.pactww.com/products/custom-crates/.

ABOUT PACT, LLC

PACT, LLC is a global leader in manufacturing sustainable packaging products for the commercial, industrial and military industries. With more than 25 years of experience, the family business was founded by three green packaging professionals and continues to embrace a green future by designing cost-effective, patented, crating solutions like LiftVans and PleatWrap, as well as custom packaging for the aerospace, medical, electronics, tooling, machinery, furniture, fine art and automotive sectors.  The company’s newest innovation is PACT ThermoShield, a sustainable paper-based packaging material that suppresses and controls lithium-ion battery fires by mitigating thermal runaway. 

About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good,” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001. Visit T2T.org to learn more and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.