Hundreds run to support autism awareness

Nearly 1,000 runners lined East Meadow streets last Saturday to participate in the 6th Annual Blazing Trails 4 Autism 4 Mile Run, co-hosted by the Genesis School of East Meadow and the Greater Long Island Running Club.

It was the first time the event was held in East Meadow. The school, located in St. Raphael’s Parish on Newbridge Road, is for students with autism who are between ages 5 and 21, and is an extension of Eden II, a Staten Island-based nonprofit organization that provides schooling, adult programs and services to families dealing with autism.

All funds raised will benefit Eden II and the Genesis School, to help them support children with autism.

863 runners finished the race, according to the Greater Long Island Running Club. Terence McElhatton finish first among men, and Shari Klarfield was the first woman to cross the finish line.

East Meadow runners were prominent in the event, including 43-year-old Ira Kaplan, who was the fourth finisher in the 40-44 age group with a time of 28 minutes even. Other top East Meadow finishers were Adrian Staiano, who finished in 29:16 to take second place among women in the 50-54 age group, and Muriel Cunningham, who finished in 1:03:35 and earned the third place award in the women’s 70-74 age group.

“Our thanks to the East Meadow community for their patience and forbearance as such a huge number of runners and walkers made their way through their local neighborhood,” said Greater Long Island Running Club President Mike Polansky. “Thanks to your understanding, we were able to raise significant funds to support the Eden II/Genesis Program and their efforts on behalf of autistic children.”