There is simply no better way for local runners and their families to celebrate the Holiday season than by being part of the fun at the Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5 Kilometer Run, and on Saturday morning, Dec. 18, athletes from Plainview-Old Bethpage, Woodbury, Syosset, Jericho and surrounding communities are invited to celebrate the 23rd annual edition of this event at the John F. Kennedy Middle School in Bethpage.
Thanks to the generosity of the leading law firm of Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt LLP (specializing in Intellectual Property Law) and Local 338, RWDSU/UFCW, this year’s edition of the run will offer all the great amenities of past years, and more.
Race director Ric Diveglio of the host Greater Long Island Running Club will be joining lots of volunteers to put together another spectacular morning of family fitness and fun for everyone. Santa Claus will once again be the official starter, and hordes of reindeer, elves and other denizens of the holiday season will be at the Middle School to make sure that a good time is had by all.
There will be once again special prizes for the best holiday costume and for the first centipede to cross the finish line. Runners and walkers are most definitely encouraged to run the 5K in costumes appropriate to the season. There will, of course, be a fun run for the youngsters on the grounds of the middle school before the main event.
There will also once again be a giant post-race raffle that will be highlighted by the grand prize of a 26-inch flat screen high definition television set and the second prize of a top-of-the-line Nikon digital camera. Everyone who is entered in the run will be eligible to win.
The overall women’s winner of the 2009 edition of the run was 21-year old Plainview superstar Shari Klarfeld, who crossed the finish line in 19 minutes, 44 seconds. The run committee is hopeful that Klarfeld will back again this Dec. 18, and looks for lots of other local runners – old and new – to join them as well.
Please note that the Ho Ho Ho Run will carry forward the Running Club’s 50 percent discount policy for youngsters aged 16 and under, so that GLIRC members 16 and under can pre-register for only $8 and non-members 16 and under can pre-register for only $9.
Call Mike or Linda at the GLIRC office at 349-7646 for entry forms or more information, or register online at www.glirc.org. Volunteers are very much needed to be part of the fun. Contact Mindy at 520-9481 or at mindyruns@aol.com. For emails, please put “Ho Ho Ho Run” as the subject.
One final note: Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to registration to benefit local children in need. Toys will be donated to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program.
