Suburban Carpet One stores to receive pieces of World Trade Center

To recognize Carpet One Floor & Home stores for their contribution to constructing high-tech smart homes for severely injured soldiers, New York City firefighters will give pieces of steel from 9/11's ground zero to eight suburban stores next week.

The presentations will be at stores in Downers Grove, North Aurora, Geneva and Schaumburg on Monday, July 27, and in Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, Crystal Lake and Lindenhurst on Tuesday, July 28.

Penny Ryan, office manager of the Schaumburg store at 26 W. Golf Road, said she anticipates the World Trade Center pieces to be about 4 inches by 4 inches and placed in glass-fronted display boxes that are about one square foot.

The presentation at her store will be at 4:30 p.m. Monday by New York firefighter Mike Jezycki, she added.

The presentations are being made to thank Carpet One Floor & Home store owners for their support of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Building for America's Bravest program.

Carpet One Floor & Home and its manufacturing partner, Mohawk, committed to providing flooring materials and installation for 46 of the program's smart homes.

Each store's customers have been invited to share information about the program with others and make a personal donation. The goal is to collect a donation of $10 or more from each customer to help build more of these homes.

The foundation running the program is named after a 34-year-old New York City firefighter and father of five who died volunteering while officially off-duty on Sept. 11, 2001.

Stephen Siller drove his truck to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel after the first plane hit that morning, only to find it closed. So he strapped on the 60 pounds of gear he had with him and ran through the gridlocked traffic from the tunnel to the World Trade Center towers, where he died.