The New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce held a very successful run recently to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in spite of the brutal, hot steamy weather.
The race was held in honor of Katie McBride, a delightful little 10-year-old who was stricken with a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. By the time it was discovered, on the weekend of Memorial Day, 2007, it had already spread throughout her body. She was admitted to Schneider Children’s Hospital where over the next four months she endured surgeries, chemo, endless tests and medications which caused a host of side effects.
After many months of pain and suffering, according to her family, “she passed into the hands of God on March 1, 2008.
Her biggest refuge in all of this was Ronald McDonald House because her mom and her whole family could stay there and be close to Katie during her horrible ordeal.
Hundreds showed up at the race, in honor of The Katie McBride Foundation and it ran off without a hitch.
It was held in front of the New Hyde Park Funeral Home under a gigantic American Flag hoisted by the New Hyde Park Fire Department.
Members of the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce were on hand to start the race and then to supply the very hot runners with water throughout the race.
Preston Thompson, the grandson of Edward Smolenski, was the overall winner of the runners from New Hyde Park.
