9/11 Exhibit Comes to Benton County Fair

SAUK RAPIDS -- September 11, 2001 is a day many of us will never forget.

It's been nearly 15 years since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and this year the Benton County Fair is honoring those who lost their lives.

The fair will feature the Tunnel 2 Towers exhibit. The exhibit is on a 53-foot tractor trailer, which unfolds into a 1,000 square-foot trailer, it was created in honor of Stephen Siller.

Siller was a New York City firefighter, he was just getting off work when he heard of the first plane hitting the twin towers. Despite being off duty, Siller drove to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (which was closed), strapped on 60 pounds of gear and ran through the tunnels to the towers. Siller died while saving the lives of others.

The exhibit will feature artifacts, pieces of the World Trade Center, radio transmissions from first responders and tours by New York firefighters.

Fair Director Karen Sakry says the exhibits costs $17,000 to have at the fair.

"We've spent a lot of time and money to get the exhibit here, part of that money will go to benefit the Stephen Siller Foundation," says Sakry.

Sakry says she can't begin to explain how heroic Siller and other first responders were during the attacks.

"Those firefighters, those police officers, those 9/11 responders, they were going into the buildings everyone else was trying to get out and so that always sticks in my mind, that's how heroic they are, they gave their lives willingly to do that," says Sakry.

You can check out the exhibit today (Tuesday) through Sunday at the Benton County Fair. The exhibit can be found next to the Sports Arena Commerical Exhibits bathrooms.