Run, Ride, Rebuild returns to Long Beach

Athletes, volunteers will work to repair two local storm-damaged homes

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Almost two and a half years after Hurricane Sandy devastated the homes and lives of countless New York and New Jersey residents, many are still struggling to get back on their feet.

Race2Rebuild’s next Run, Ride, Rebuild event on Saturday, April 18, in Long Beach, will raise money for storm relief efforts and to help rebuild the homes of two Long Beach residents.

Saturday’s event will feature celebrity athletes such as Laurel and Rebeccah Wassner, and is sponsored by HGTV, DIY Network and Optimum Community and presented in partnership with the City of Long Beach, Rebuilding Together Long Island and 1156Run. Laurel is a cancer survivor and winner of the 2014 Challenge USA race in Atlantic City. She and her twin sister, Rebeccah, are professional triathletes.

“To have the city itself and so many local partners involved is really ideal. It’s a really amazing relationship to have,” said Sarah Hartmann, president of Race2Rebuild.Race2Rebuild is an endurance, charity program founded by volunteer athletes in the aftermath of Sandy to support rebuilding efforts and bring families home following natural disasters. To date, it has raised over $100,000 and has supported or participated in more than 10 rebuilding projects.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Hartmann volunteered in Long Beach and organized a group of more than 1,000 runners to help residents who were reeling from the devastation. To mark the second anniversary of Sandy, Race2Rebuild held its inaugural Run, Ride, Rebuild event last fall in the Rockaways and Prospect Park, Brooklyn. A satellite event, organizes by 1156Run, occurred concurrently in Long Beach.

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