In Land O’ Lakes, Florida, a recovered 22-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center’s South Tower rolled into town as part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” tour. The beam, weighing more than 16,000 pounds, is stopping at communities so neighbors can see, touch and remember the sacrifice of first responders and civilians on September 11. Local residents like Mike Consentino and his granddaughter Loren joined Tunnel to Towers representatives including Stephen Siller Jr. and retired FDNY Battalion Chief John LaBarbera to share stories and reflect. The exhibit is one stop in a 35-stop, 21-state journey that will eventually return to ground zero before the 25th anniversary.
This massive piece of World Trade Center steel is being carried as a tactile history lesson, not a museum relic locked behind glass. Visitors step into a mobile exhibit that places the beam at the center, letting people from different generations meet the past with their hands and voices. Organizers say the physical weight of the metal helps bridge the gap for people who never lived through that day.
“My father’s body was never recovered. So, he is ingrained in that steel. For us to travel the country and teach people his story, show them what it’s about, it’s incredible,” said Stephen Siller Jr., In line of Duty Manager for Tunnel to Towers. His words anchor the tour’s mission: personal loss turned into public education and service for the families who were left behind. The foundation frames the beam as both memorial and motivator for ongoing support to first responders and military families.
The tour isn’t flashy; its power comes from quiet moments. People linger, lay a palm on scorched metal and trade stories with volunteers who knew first responders or were just there to learn. That close-up contact becomes a conversation starter about heroism, sacrifice and what communities can do to support those who serve.
“I want them to understand the gravity of it and also what’s happened in the wake of September 11th. What happened to me was a terrible tragedy, but so much good has come from it,” Siller said. That mix of grief and gratitude runs through the event, where grief is acknowledged and the aftermath — the rewards of service, scholarship programs and recovery efforts — is also part of the message. Tunnel to Towers positions the tour as a way to carry forward lessons while honoring lives lost.
“It just brings back all the memories. It just doesn’t feel like 25 years, it feels like yesterday,” said Mike Consentino, Land O’Lakes resident. His reaction was typical: many attendees found the visit jolting in the best way, stirring memories that feel fresh even decades later. For families like the Consentinos, the beam is a teaching tool for younger relatives who never experienced 9/11 in real time.
“Just to feel it was like not like weird but at the same time nice to feel it because I wasn’t born yet,” said Loren Consentino, Mike’s 9-year-old granddaughter. Her simple honesty shows why the exhibit matters; tactile history gives kids a direct, human connection to events they only learn about in class. The foundation hopes those small moments seed deeper curiosity and respect among the next generation.
“I’m just honored to be here to remember the day that affected so many lives and the reason why the foundation exists. And to honor the 2,977 Americans that lost their lives on September 11th and the nearly 7,000 students in the global war on terrorism,” said Scott Nokes, a Tunnel to Towers recipient. Voices like Nokes’ underline a broader purpose: remembrance tied to continued support for veterans, first responders and their families. Organizers also noted the tour’s schedule and say it will keep moving through communities over the coming year before heading back to New York for the 25th commemoration.
“It’s a poignant piece to look at. It’s historic, but people need to know what happened on that fateful day, and people also need to what we’re doing as a foundation, helping those first responders and military that help us 24/7,” concluded John LaBarbera, retired FDNY Battalion Chief and executive board member of Tunnel to Towers. That idea — honoring the past by strengthening the present — ran through every conversation in Land O’ Lakes as the beam sat quiet but heavy, inviting hands, stories and the kind of attention that keeps memory alive.
