Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani announced that the Twin Towers Fund will begin distributing $40 million to families of the Uniformed Service members who lost their lives in the September 11th attacks. Relief checks, totaling approximately $100,000 each, will be mailed out to the families in the next 7-10 days.

"The heroism and selflessness of our uniformed service heroes will never be forgotten and we shall forever be in their debt for their courageous actions on September 11," said Mayor Giuliani. "The lives of so many families have changed forever, and while no amount of money can bring loved ones back, we hope this will at least alleviate financial burdens now, and give spouses, parents and children peace of mind that they will be taken care of in years to come."

"We are also very thankful for the tens of thousands of donations from individuals and corporations across the country and around the world who have to the Twin Towers Fund," the Mayor continued. "Everyone who donated to the Twin Towers Fund can be assured that every single penny donated to help the families of our uniformed service members who sacrificed their lives, will go directly to these heroes."

The Mayor also announced that every dollar raised by the Twin Towers Fund will go directly to the families of the Port Authority, Police Department and Fire Department members who sacrificed their lives. A separate fund will be set up to raise money for administrative costs so that all the money donated by individuals and corporations to the relief effort for the families of the fallen heroes will go directly to firefighters and police officers' families.

The Twin Towers Fund has raised approximately $85 million to date. Once the initial $40 million is distributed to the families as a base amount, the Twin Towers Fund will assess each individual case to determine what additional needs the families have. Because there are complex issues to determine, such as identifying how many children need to be provided for, if there are children with special needs, and if there are children from previous marriages, as well as issues concerning dependent parents and domestic partners, the Twin Towers Fund will create a responsible program to ensure that the remaining money is distributed fairly so that no family member or dependent is left behind or with needs.

The amount of the initial base checks to each family, approximately $100,000 each, will be determined through each individual family situation and the children involved.

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani established the Twin Towers Fund to ensure that the generous outpouring of support for the families of our uniform services heroes affected by the disaster are coordinated, responsive, responsible and accountable. The purpose of the Twin Towers Fund is to assist, support, and recognize the families of the members of the uniformed services of the New York City Fire Department and its Emergency Medical Services Command, the New York City Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York State Office of Court Administration and other government offices who lost their lives or were injured because of the tragedies of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City. If resources permit, the families of other persons who lost their lives or were injured during those tragedies may also be included as beneficiaries.

The Twin Towers Fund is operating under the not- for-profit umbrella of New York City Public/Private Initiatives, Inc. For more information on how to donate to the fund, please call the Twin Towers Fund toll-free number for donations, 877-870-4278, or visit the website located at www.nyc.gov.