Englewood Producer Nominated for 18th Emmy Award

Englewood native Todd Ehrlich received his 18th Emmy Nomination for a feature covering the first ever tower climb race held at One World Trade Center. It was part of the 2015 live Tunnel to Towers annual special. The Emmy Award winning special aired on WCBS TV and nationally on CBS owned and operated stations. Ehrlich served as the executive producer of the broadcast, and is a three-time Emmy Award winning producer.

The nomination of Tower Climb was in the Historical/Cultural: Program Feature/Segment Category. The 60th annual New York Emmy Awards will be held on May 6th in the Marriott Marquis, Times Square ornate Broadway Ballroom. Tunnel to Towers was hosted by Chris Wragge and Mary Calvi at the start line of the event and Maurice DuBois and Kristine Johnson at the finish line. Maurice DuBois was the talent for the feature.

This year’s third annual Tower Climb will be held on June 4th 2017 and those interested in participating can sign up here. The event has sold out the first two years. To find out more about the Tunnel to Towers foundation and how you can support the amazing work they do visit http://tunnel2towers.org/.

The Tower Climb was the first event ever held at One World Trade Center. The Tower Climb race is a charity event that raised money for two deserving charities. The race retraced the footsteps of 9/11 heroes straight up 90 floors to the top of the Trade Center. The event left the proud American racers out of breath, but full of emotions. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Bryan Dilberian a triple amputee war hero finished the race on the 90th floor. The Tower Climb raised money for The Captain Billy Burke Foundation that pays for education for children of parents who died on 9/11. It also raised enough money for Tunnel to Towers Foundation to build a smart home for critically injured war heroes.

You can click here to view the Emmy Nominated feature.

“The Tower Climb was one of the most emotional events I have every covered.” said Ehrlich. “It’s an honor to be entrusted with covering this event and all the amazing work done by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. It is important to make sure no one ever forgets 9/11. A program like this helps keep the memory alive of the heros and victums of September 11th. It aslo helps raise funds for the foundation’s program, Building for America’s Bravest. The build smart homes for critically wounded veterans to help them regain their independence at home.”

The inspiration for the event can be traced back to September 11th 2001 when Firefighter Stephen Siller and Captain Billy Burke lost theirs while participating in the rescue effort at ground zero. 9/11 is one of the darkest days in our country’s history and also a day that demonstrated the true meaning of the American spirit. The heroism of first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful day was the inducement for the Tower Climb. All of the first responders including Siller and Burke helped to save thousands of lives.

Captain Burke was in the North Tower, he refused to leave an employee in a wheelchair behind, even knowing that the South Tower had already fallen. He sent his men to safety ahead of him but sadly he perished when the North Tower fell. His siblings wanted to capture his heroic spirit in the foundation that bears his name, and hoped that the same spirit would inspire the climbers during their ascent.

George Siller, Stephen Siller’s brother said, “It's really surreal. We're really reenacting what he did on that day and what so many others did on that day, like Captain Billy Burke, he really is a hero, and such a kind man to give up his life for that disabled person.”

“They see the work that we do in building these houses across the country for the most catastrophically injured service members.” Said Frank Siller, Chairman of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, “So they know that when we do an event and the money that we raise for the event goes to the greatest of all Americans, guys who are protecting us every single day.”

Ehrlich also produced an hour long show highlighting how the sports world reacted to the events of 9/11 called, The Voice of the Athlete. He produced a Public Service Announcement for Major League Soccer to raise money to help the heroes and victims of that dreadful day and has produced the yearly special Tunnel to Towers since 2008.

Information on Tunnel to Towers Foundation

The mission of the Tunnel to Tower Foundation is to honor the sacrifice of Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. Best known for its annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Walk/run in New York City, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors our military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country through its various initiatives and programs. The foundation has raised 70 million dollars since 2002 and has a four star rating from Charity Navigator. 93.2 cents of every dollar they have raised goes directly to people in need. As of now, its "Building for America's Bravest" program has turned the keys over to, is in the process of building, or is deep in the planning stage for 56 homes across the United States. These specially adapted, custom designed "smart homes" are built for our nation's most catastrophically injured service members.