On Saturday, Apr. 9, the third annual Port Washington Winter 5K Run was held at 9 a.m. in order to raise money for the Community Chest of Port Washington, an organization which gives grants to charities that aid residents of the Port Washington community and provide below-cost rent to those charities.  The race was a five-kilometer run, and the qualifications were a minimum age of 13 and 5K time of 60 minutes or less.  Adults paid $60 for registration, and those under the age of 21 paid $35, with all proceeds going to the Community Chest.

The race, which was a USA Track & Field sanctioned running race, started in the Hempstead Harbor Beach parking field, and then went north on West Shore Rd., then south after a u-turn, and ultimately finished on the beach promenade in the northern part of North Hempstead Beach South.  FLRRT, or Finish Line Road Race Technicians, tracked the results of each runner using a chip in each race bib.  All participants who finished the race were awarded a medal at the finish line, and the three fastest overall runners, as well as the top three runners for each five-year age group, received awards.  There was even a pre-race warmup led by athletic trainers from North Shore University Hospital.  After the race, FLRRT posted the results on their website and at the finish lines, ensuring that all of the runners could see their chip times in a quick and efficient manner.

“The registration process for the 5K race was super quick and easy, and I felt like the whole event was very organized.  Overall, I had a great time running with members of my community and supporting the Community Chest along the way,” said junior Joseph Asselta.

After the race was finished, the Community Chest hosted a post-race party in the North Hempstead Beach Parking lot in a heated tent.  Greenport Harbor Brewing Company provided a batch of beer created just for the race, and had many different brews for participants to try, along with food and soft drinks.  The cost of attending the post-race party was $20 per person, with the funds once again going to the Community Chest of Port Washington.  The post-race party also featured live music from theLong Island pop rock band known as Off Peak.  Those who attended the party were required to wear a wristband which served as their ticket, and could be bought on site at the race.

“The atmosphere at the post-race part was really positive.  Everyone was tired from the race, but also happy that they were able to support a great cause and have a fun day with other members of the Port Washington community,” said junior Alex Almahmoud.

There were also a large number of sponsors of the Port Washington Winter 5K run that made the day possible.  The event was sponsored by the Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation, and some silver and bronze sponsors included OrangeTheory Fitness, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Arena Graphics, Sands Point Center for Health and Rehabilitation, and Chief Graphix.  There were also food sponsors, such as Dimaggio’s Trattoria, Bodyarmor, and Hinck’s Delicatessen.  All of the sponsors were recognized by the run, since they were all featured on the social media, as well as on the back of the t-shirt given out to all participants prior to the race on Saturday.

“I had a great experience at the Port Washington Winter 5K Run on Saturday.  It was a really fun environment and I’m glad that this is an annual tradition now in our town,” said junior Bryson Shaub.