Community

This Saturday morning, John Paul Landing Park will fill with runners, walkers, firefighters, veterans, military families and neighbors taking part in an event that has become a meaningful September tradition in Cypress.

The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk – Cypress, TX / Northwest Houston returns September 19 for its fifth year, giving residents another chance to honor first responders and military service members while raising money for families who have faced devastating loss or injury.

With race day now just days away, the local fundraiser is also within reach of a major goal. As of September 14, the Cypress and Northwest Houston campaign had raised $48,886 toward its $50,000 target.

What to Know Before Saturday

The event will be held at John Paul Landing Park Environmental Education Center, 9950 Katy Hockley Road in Cypress.

Race-day registration opens at 7 a.m. The event is listed to begin at 7:30 a.m., with the 5K run and walk registration categories showing an 8:15 a.m. start time.

Registration is still open for anyone deciding at the last minute to join.

Current prices are $40 for adults, $35 for first responders and military members, $25 for youth ages 13 to 17 and $15 for children 12 and younger. Registration will also be available Saturday morning.

Participants who sign up this week should keep in mind that the deadline to guarantee a race shirt has already passed. Organizers will try to provide shirts to late registrants, but sizes and availability are not guaranteed.

Packet pickup will also be available Saturday morning at the Environmental Education Center.

More Than a 5K

The Cypress event is part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s national Run, Walk & Climb Series, which brings communities together across the country to honor first responders and military members while raising money for the foundation’s programs.

The organization was created in memory of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter who lost his life on September 11, 2001. Siller had finished his shift and was headed to play golf when he heard that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. When he reached the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and found it closed to traffic, he strapped on his firefighting gear and ran through the tunnel toward the Twin Towers.

He never came home.

That run became the inspiration for what eventually grew into the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and its nationwide series of community events. Today, races like the one in Cypress help carry Siller’s story forward while supporting families of fallen first responders, catastrophically injured service members, Gold Star families and veterans.

For Cypress and Northwest Houston, the annual 5K brings that national mission close to home. It gives local families, firefighters, law enforcement officers, veterans and neighbors a chance to take part in the same effort that began with one firefighter’s final run more than two decades ago.

“We honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and we thank YOU for coming together for this historical event in our little corner of the world to make a difference in the lives of those we have pledged to support,” organizers shared in the event description.

A Race for Runners, Walkers and Families

The course is approximately 3.1 miles, but participants do not need to be experienced runners.

People can walk the route, push strollers or participate using wheelchairs. Firefighters are also welcome to complete the course in turnout gear, while military participants may carry military backpacks.

The event is not timed, which helps keep the focus on participation rather than competition.

For some, the morning may be about completing a first 5K. Others may be walking in memory of a loved one, alongside coworkers from a fire or police department, or with children who were born years after September 11.

That mix is part of what has made the Cypress event feel less like a traditional race and more like a community gathering.

Cypress Fundraiser Nearly Reaches $50,000 Goal

The fundraising side of the event has picked up considerably since My Neighborhood News first reported on the race in July.

At that time, the local campaign had raised $5,460. This week, that total had climbed to $48,886, putting organizers just over $1,100 away from the $50,000 goal.

Participants can continue collecting donations through their individual fundraising pages, and donations will remain open after race day as well.

Those contributions support the work of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which assists families of fallen first responders, Gold Star families, catastrophically injured service members and veterans.

The foundation's work also has a direct connection to the Houston area.

The Tunnel to Towers Greater Houston Veterans Village provides permanent supportive housing for veterans who have experienced homelessness, giving them a stable place to live along with access to services and resources.

For Cypress residents taking part Saturday, that local connection makes it easier to see where the broader mission reaches beyond race day.

One More Chance to Join In

There is still time for residents to register, donate or volunteer before Saturday.

And participation does not have to mean running the full course. Families can walk together, local groups can form teams, and residents who would rather stay off the course can still support the event through donations or volunteer work.

Five years into the Cypress race, the idea behind the event remains straightforward: remember those who gave their lives, support the families left behind and stand behind the first responders and military members who serve today.

The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk – Cypress, TX / Northwest Houston will take place Saturday, September 19, at John Paul Landing Park Environmental Education Center, 9950 Katy Hockley Road in Cypress.

Residents can find registration, donation and volunteer information through the official Tunnel to Towers Cypress/Northwest Houston event page.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more community events, nonprofit news and ways to get involved across Cypress and Northwest Houston.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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