NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Hundreds of people gathered in Nelsonville Public Square Sunday, April 27 for the fourth annual Nelsonville Tunnels to Towers 5K Run and Walk.
The national nonprofit Tunnels to Towers Foundation honors active military personnel, veterans and first responders and supports the family members of those honored.
One of the ways the foundation supports families is by providing mortgage-free homes to families of fallen first responders and injured military service members. Nelsonville Tunnels to Towers Director Lezlee Armes is a recipient of that program.
Armes acquired a mortgage-free home after her husband, Jeff Armes, who was a senior firefighter with the Nelsonville Division of Fire, died on scene in May 2021.
“I wanted to do something to be able to honor my husband,” she said.
Armes has organized the Nelsonville Tunnels to Towers 5K since 2022, with each year drawing a larger turnout than the last. This year’s event raised over $50,000 to support Tunnels to Towers’ home programs.
“To raise that much money in this small town and community, I think it’s amazing,” Armes said.
Members of the Shamrock Club Pipes and Drums, Whitehall Fire Department Honor Guard and Logan High School Reserve Officers’ Training Guard led race participants to the starting line to kick off the race. The fastest completion time was 16:27.
The fifth annual Nelsonville Tunnels to Towers 5K will take place Sunday, April 29, 2026.
