Hernando Tunnel to Towers 5K Raises Over $8,500 in Debut
Runners and walkers gathered Saturday morning for the first Hernando Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk at Hernando Hills Elementary School. The event raised more than $8,500 for the national foundation that supports families of fallen and catastrophically injured first responders and military members.
The City of Hernando credited Bill and Carla Gallo, owners of the recently opened Jersey Mike’s Subs in Hernando, for hosting the inaugural race. In a Facebook post after the event, the city said it was grateful to the couple for bringing the run to Hernando.
Hernando Tunnel to Towers 5K by the Numbers
The race started at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Hernando Hills Elementary, 570 McIngvale Road. As of Sunday, the event’s official fundraising page showed:
- $8,530 raised toward a $10,000 goal
- 55 individual fundraisers, led by William Gallo with $800
- Gold Strike Casino team: $6,000, meeting its full team goal
Local sponsors on the race page include Gold Strike Casino, Southern Thunder, Bank Southern, Kroger and Southern Pediatric Therapy. National Tunnel to Towers partners include the Home Depot Foundation, GMC and Fox News. Donations can still be made through the race’s fundraising page, so the total may keep growing toward the $10,000 goal.
About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It honors Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter who strapped on his gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center, where he lost his life. The foundation’s motto is “While we have time, let us do good.”
The foundation’s Run & Walk series raises money for its programs, which include:
- Mortgage-free homes for Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children
- Custom smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders
- Programs to help end veteran homelessness
The foundation already has ties to DeSoto County. In 2025, it presented a mortgage-free smart home to a local family, which we covered in Brooks receives Tunnel to Towers home.
A New Fall Tradition for Hernando?
Saturday’s run was billed as the first Tunnel to Towers event in Hernando. It added a charity race to a busy fall calendar that already includes the Water Tower 10K and the Hernando Farmers Market on the Courthouse Square. Organizers haven’t announced a date for a 2027 race yet. If the first year’s turnout and fundraising are any sign, the event could return next fall.
For the pre-race details, see our earlier preview: Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Set for Oct. 17 in Hernando.
Source: City of Hernando, MS Government (Facebook); Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk – Hernando, MS
