New York Jets owner Woody Johnson will be recognized at Tunnel to Towers’ annual gala later this year, as the foundation celebrates his 10-year commitment to its mission.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established in 2001 in support of 9/11 first responders, military veterans, and their families, is widely known for building mortgage-free smart homes for severely injured service members and providing housing assistance for homeless veterans.
Johnson’s longtime charitable work with Tunnel to Towers dates back to 2014, when he contributed $1 million to the organization’s Building for America’s Bravest initiative.
Most recently, Johnson joined Tunnel to Towers last month to present Command Sergeant Major William “Bud” McElroy with a new mortgage-free smart home, delivering a life-changing surprise to the veteran.
“Tunnel to Towers’ extraordinary work is a constant reminder of the importance of honoring the memory of the heroes who demonstrated courage and made the ultimate sacrifice for this country,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Over the past two decades they have channeled grief into action, and it’s a privilege to be recognized by such an honorable group.”
“Woody Johnson has been standing with our families for more than a decade, and he’s never once asked for anything in return,” Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said in a statement. “Because of Woody, his family, and the Betty Wood Johnson Foundation, six catastrophically injured veterans are living in specially adapted smart homes today, and first responder families across this country are keeping their homes.”
“My brother Stephen ran toward people who needed him without asking what it would cost him — Woody has been doing the same thing for twelve years. There’s no one more deserving of the Follow the Footsteps Award, which we will be presenting to him at our gala in December,” Siller added.
The gala honoring Johnson will take place in December.
Johnson previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during the first Trump administration and is a founding trustee of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.