Katie’s Run Continues to Grow in New Hyde Park

Nearly 4 years ago the parents of Katie McBride, a brave 11-year-old who lost her battle with leukemia in 2008, started a foundation bearing her name.

This past Sunday, over 1,000 people showed up just to participate in the , not including those who helped set up or the ones lining the race route.

The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island was a safe haven where Katie’s father Michael, who is also one of the directors of the on Lakeville Road where the 5k and two mile run started out, and his wife Jeanne stayed when Katie was ill.

“The Ronald McDonald House really provided a lot of support during my daughter’s illness and that’s why we want to give back to them as much as we could,” McBride said.

The first year of Katie’s Run the foundation raised $11,000, growing to $14,000 last year. This year the group estimates raising $16,000. McBride added that his goal is to have over 2,500 runners participate in the near future.

The McBrides have two other children Michael Jr. and Patrick, both of whom attended in Mineola with the former being the donor for her bone marrow transplant.

“After the transplant and more chemotherapy treatments she had to move on, it was too much for her to endure,” he said.

Politicians, runners and residents from all boroughs came out to give to a good cause. Nassau Legis. , R-New Hyde Park, said that it was simply great to be in attendance even if he did not have running shoes on that day.

The runners and walkers finished alongside by the corner of Wilton and Albert Streets. The McBrides presented awards to all the winners and medals to children who participated in the kid’s fun run, but before the award presentation they listened intently to Pastor Eric Olsen who said beauty, such as Katie, inspires love.

“Love is a gorgeous mosaic of God’s creation,” Olsen said. “Katie had a great knock, knock joke, which she would say, “Knock, knock, let us. Then she would say let us pray.”