Community Corner

Record Number of Runners at Fourth Annual Katie's Run

New Hyde Park event brings together hundreds for charity run.

Over 700 people participated in the Fourth Annual Katie’s Run 5K and Walk/Run Sunday afternoon, setting a new record for the New Hyde Park charity event.

The race is named in honor of Katie McBride, who passed away at the age of 11 from Burkitt’s Lymphoma which turned to leukemia.

Back to defend his title was Ryan McDermott, a Chaminade High School graduate, who again finished as overall winner to take the first place trophy, which this year was renamed the Mayor’s Cup, with a time of 17:24. The overall female champion was SUNY New Paltz All-American Amanda Wolfer from Woodbury with a time of 19:32, who was also running her first road race.

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The Karen Kueffner Memorial Award, which is given to the first female New Hyde Park resident winner, went to Leslie Hiller with a time of 22:46. The first male New Hyde Park resident finisher was 16-year old Peter Kienan for the second year in a row, with a time of 19:34.

There was a total of 483 runners for the 5K race alone. Members of the Fordham University Basketball team, where Katie’s Father was the team’s manager, as well as alumni of Chaminade High School, where McBride’s sons went to school, were also well-represented in the race.

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All proceeds from the race go to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island at the Steve and Alexandra Coen Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park where families of seriously ill children who are undergoing medical care at local hospitals can stay and where Katie’s mother Patricia spent nine months during her daughter’s treatment. Last year the event raised over $15,000.

During the presentation of trophies, Tom Pellegrino and Vinnie Grunert of the New Hyde Park Little League presented the McBrides with a plaque dedicated to Katie that will hang above the new equipment shed. The McBrides donated funds through Katie’s foundation and volunteers Mike Stein, John Nykiel and Tom Wisniewski built the structure.

“They interrupted my game yesterday with a big concrete truck, but that was great so we thank you very much for everything you guys do for the community,” Pellegrino said.

“It’s obviously the relationships that the McBride family have within the community locally and throughout the city that really makes this event run,” Mike Pfeiffer, chief development officer of Ronald McDonald House, said.

Pfeiffer also presented Joe Smolinski, president of the New Hyde Park Funeral Home with a plaque for his dedication and work with the charity.

“Joe has been a tremendous help, he’s a very humble gentleman and is always willing to help the Ronald McDonald House and the McBride family after what they went through and the tragic story of Katie but I think as a testament you guys can see, everyone has done a great job in keeping Katie’s memory alive.”

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