Second Quadruple Amputee to Survive at War,
CPL. Todd Nicely To Get Keys to His New “Smart Home”
At the Lake of the Ozarks

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
June 28, 11:00 AM
544 Cambridge, Lake Ozark, MO 65049

June 21, 2012. Lake Ozarks, Missouri.  The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation announce the Ribbon Cutting and Key Turning Over Ceremony for June 28, 2012, at 11:00 am for a custom designed and specially adapted “smart home” to assist in making quadruple amputee CPL Todd Nicely’s life more independent.  The general pubic is welcome to attend.

On March 26, 2010, Corporal Nicely was leading his 1st Squad Marines back from a security patrol when he stepped on a pressure plate mine, which exploded throwing him into the air down by a creek.  As his men put on tourniquets to stop the bleeding, the first thing to go through Todd’s mind was that he didn’t want this to be the last memories his guys had of him.  Todd woke up in the hospital to learn he had lost both his legs, as well as both his arms. In fighting on, Todd was joined by his wife, Crystal, also a Marine, in the hospital who has been by his side ever since. 

When asked by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation where Todd would like to live the rest of his life, he said, “The Lake of the Ozarks.”  Gary Sinise and The Lt. Dan Band played a benefit concert last Memorial Day weekend in St. Louis, which kicked off the fundraising campaign to help pay for Todd’s “smart home.”  In October of last year, the foundations broke ground on a lakeside plot of land in the Four Seasons.  Now, eight months later, the keys to the house will officially be turned over to Todd.

Says Sinise, “All of us at the Gary Sinise Foundation are proud to partner with The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and we are very grateful to the many volunteers and donors for supporting our ‘Building For America’s Bravest’ program.  With the building of this smart home, we honor Todd Nicely’s heroism by helping to provide him with a more independent lifestyle which will, in turn enable him to lead the best life possible with his wonderful wife Crystal. He has given so much, it is a privilege to be able to give something back to both of them. I want to thank everyone who came to our concert in St. Louis last year.  But most of all we thank Corporal Todd Nicely for his service and sacrifice in defense of our nation. Thank you Todd, and welcome home.”

Adds Frank Siller, Chairman of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, “We can’t thank the wonderful people of Missouri enough.  Thanks to their generosity to honor this hero, we are able to build Todd his dream home.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation have also announced a Lt. Dan Band Benefit Concert for CPL Tyler Huffman’s “smart home,” which will be built in Jefferson City.  The Lt. Dan Band Concert is scheduled for July 27th, 2012, at Apple Creek Farms in Centertown (10 minutes from Jefferson City).  Tickets can be purchased at www.AppleCreekTickets.com or by calling 800-293-5949.  In Jefferson City, they can be purchased through Central Bank, Home Savings, Samuels Tuxedo’s and 10 of the Bee Line Convenient Stores.

About Building For America’s Bravest:
In 2011, The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation partnered in efforts to build Smart Homes for 3 Quadruple Amputees.  In 2012 they have partnered on 9 additional homes for very severely wounded warriors from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. To date they have completed one home for SPC. Brendan Marrocco on June 11, 2011, in Staten Island, and on June 28th, 2012, will turn over the keys at The Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, to CPL. Todd Nicely. They broke ground on Feb. 14, 2012, in Temecula, CA for Cpl. Juan Dominguez‘s home, and this year start raising funds for homes in Brooklyn, NY, Albany, NY, Ararat, VA, Jefferson City, MO, Atlanta, GA, Marrietta, OH, and Whitehall, PA.  To make donations to Building For America’s Bravest Program, go to:
http://www.garysinisefoundation.org/help_us/donate or
https://tunneltotowersfoundation.org/donate_now.aspx .

About the Gary Sinise Foundation:
The Gary Sinise Foundation is dedicated to serving the Nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. For more information, go to www.GarySiniseFoundation.org.

About The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation:
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named after fallen NY firefighter Stephen Siller, is best known for its annual Tunnel to Towers Run which follows Siller’s heroic run from a blocked-off Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center in a desperate bid to save lives. The Run, held the last Sunday of each September, attracts 30,000 participants from around the world. Beginning in 2011, cities all across America—including some of the largest—held their versions of the Tunnel to Towers Run and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Foundation’s “Building for America’s Bravest” program. For more information, go to www.TunneltoTowers.org.