Nationwide 911‑Minute Challenge Honors Two Long Island First Responders

In early September a quiet but powerful movement sprouted from West Sayville, Long Island. Alanna Johnson, a tech‑sales professional turned fitness entrepreneur, launched what she calls the Sweat for Sacrifice Legacy Challenge. The idea is simple, almost too simple: move for 911 minutes during the month of September – that’s about thirty minutes a day – and dedicate each step, lap or stretch to a hero who gave everything on that fateful morning in 2001.

Johnson’s motivation runs deeper than a catchy hashtag. Both of her uncles—Timothy “Timmy” Goss, an FDNY Marine 1 firefighter, and Harry D’Onofrio, an NYPD Emergency Service Unit detective who also served as West Sayville’s fire chief—answered the call to duty on September 11. Goss had just finished an overnight shift and was heading home when the towers fell; D’Onofrio was off‑duty. Instead of turning the car around, each chose to go back into the chaos, joining rescue and recovery crews that worked for weeks.

Their bravery came at a cost. Years later, Goss battled pancreatic cancer, passing away on June 17, 2026. D’Onofrio struggled with COPD and died in 2021 after a long hospice stay. Both illnesses were linked to the toxic dust and stress of the 9/11 response. “They sacrificed their future,” Johnson says, voice a little raw, remembering the quiet evenings spent listening to their stories.

When Goss’s health suddenly declined after an operation in June, Johnson rushed back to Long Island, only to find him in hospice and gone two days later. At his funeral a flag from Ground Zero fluttered, sparking an idea: could her fledgling fitness brand, Sweat With Slay, become a vehicle for remembrance? She recalled a family friend who once ran the NYC Marathon for D’Onofrio and thought, why not make something that anyone could do, no marathon required?

Thus, on June 23, barely a week after Goss’s death, the website went live. The challenge invites anyone—walkers, runners, pickleball fans, even golfers—to log any kind of movement. Participants can register, dedicate their minutes to a personal hero on a digital Legacy Wall, track progress, and share updates with the hashtag #SweatForSacrifice. A public leaderboard adds a friendly competitive edge, but Johnson made sure the door stays open for those who prefer to stay off‑grid.

Beyond tribute, the drive raises money for two charities that support 9/11 families: the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation. Direct donations flow through the Pledge platform and are split evenly unless the donor says otherwise. Merchandise—t‑shirts, water bottles, you name it—also funnels cash to the cause. By September 1, the effort had collected roughly $3,150, with over eighty people involved in some way, and about forty‑four to forty‑five publicly logging their minutes.

What’s striking is the reach. While most participants hail from across the United States, an overseas team linked to Johnson’s former employer joined in from Vietnam, proving the challenge’s “anyone, anywhere” ethos. Even if you discover the campaign mid‑month, you can still catch up on missed minutes; the goal is cumulative, not punctual.

Johnson herself has been marking September with a personal ritual since 2021—climbing 110 floors on a StairMaster, echoing the height of the Twin Towers—to honor all who served that day. This year, she turned that private homage into a community event, hoping the collective sweat will echo the perseverance of those two men.

If you feel moved, the registration page stays open through the end of September. Whether you jog, do yoga, chase a toddler, or simply pace your kitchen, each minute counts toward a legacy that refuses to be forgotten.