STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Friday that it was going to raise money to pay for the mortgages of the family homes of slain Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, donations started pouring in.
"I just want people to react now, said Frank Siller, chairman of the Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. "If we could deliver by the New Year -- which is our goal -- it would be awesome."
A lot of the donations that have come in are in small monetary amounts, but they add up quickly, he said.
"The generosity of Staten Island is amazing," said Siller.
Donations aren't only coming in from Staten Island and the rest of the five boroughs but from all over the world.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guilani donated $20,000 himself, saying "These [police officers] die for you. They die to keep you safe... You owe them this because they are keeping you safe."
Funeral arrangements have been set for Officer Wenjian Liu, who was ambushed and killed in Brooklyn on Dec. 20. (DCPI)
The wake for Liu will take place Saturday and he will be laid to rest on Sunday.
The Siller Foundation is accepting donations on its website, tunnel2towers.org, and by check, made out to the organization with a memo explaining that the money is for the officers' mortgage payments.