The Ken Tietjen Memorial Foundation
The Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation was started in November 2001 as a non-profit organization to honor the memory of Port Authority Police Officer Kenny Tietjen who, at the age of 31, sacrificed his life on September 11th.
We are an all-volunteer 501 (c)(3) non-profit charity based in the NY tri-state area. You can be comfortable knowing that one hundred percent of all donations go directly to our programs, which we provide throughout New York, New Jersey, and surrounding areas, as well as all along the East Coast.
Our mission
The mission of The Ken Tietjen Memorial Foundation is to support local police and fire departments, as well as veterans, assist children and adults experiencing trauma, provide educational and mentoring programs to high-risk children, and comfort those dealing with life threatening illnesses.
How we got started
Kenny loved working in the community in his role as a police officer with the Port Authority Police Department in New York and as a volunteer firefighter with Belford Engine in New Jersey. He had an infectious smile and a uncontrollable urge to play practical jokes whenever possible!
The idea for the Foundation came about because each year during the Christmas season, the Tietjen’s would “adopt” a needy family and provide all the food, clothes, and toys to help make the family’s Christmas a happy one.
It was always Kenny’s job to provide the bikes for the children – it was something he looked forward to doing.
With the holidays approaching less than three months after Kenny was killed, his family and friends wanted to find a positive way to keep his memory alive and lessen the huge hole that they felt by spending Christmas without him.
Through generous donations from friends, family, community groups and businesses, fellow Port Authority police officers, and wonderful strangers, the Foundation was able to purchase and deliver 11 bicycles to needy children that very first year.
With the help of so many, over the last 18 years, we have been able to expand and redefine the mission of the Foundation and help tens of thousands of people in need.
