Running for a good cause

Wantagh track teammates Max Moritz, left, and James McVeigh crossed the finish line a hair apart at the Purple Ribbon Run on July 25.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Noah Geyer, 9, and his father, Troy, of Wantagh, crossed the finish line together.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Una Broderick finished third among women and first among Wantagh residents.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Justin Rockitter, 17, who organized the Purple Ribbon Run in honor of his late grandmother, Susan, kept an eye on the starting line.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Sisters Abby and Aislinn Frazer, from Wantagh, finished third and second, respectively, among girls in the 14-and-under age group.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

David Rockitter, Justin’s father, ran the 5K in honor of his mother.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

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See more photos from the race here.

The fight against pancreatic cancer is $3,500 stronger thanks to a Wantagh High School student and more than 350 runners.

The second annual Purple Ribbon Run was held in Wantagh last Saturday morning, beginning on Old Mill Road, alongside the Twin Lakes Preserve, and ending near Forest Lake Elementary School. It was organized by 17-year-old Justin Rockitter, who did it in honor of his grandmother, Susan Rockitter. She died from pancreatic cancer when he was 6.

All proceeds will be donated to the Lustgarten Foundation, which funds pancreatic cancer research. In addition to the registration fees, there were numerous raffles that helped raise money for the cause.

There were 355 registrants for the 5K race this year. The winner was 26-year-old Michael Berger, of Bellmore, who finished with a time of 16 minutes, 32 seconds. The top female runner was Katie McGrath, of Oakdale, who clocked in at 18:48. Both received large trophies.

Una Broderick, of Wantagh, was the top finisher from the community and third among all women runners. She posted a time of 19:45. James McVeigh, a member of the Wantagh High School track team, paced the 15-19 age group at 20:17. He crossed just a tick ahead of teammate Max Moritz.

“It’s fun,” McVeigh, 16, a junior at Wantagh High, said of the run. “It’s with my team. It felt good to be back in the races. I think I did pretty well.”

McVeigh, who runs both track and cross-country, said he also wanted to support Rockitter, his teammate.

Troy Geyer, of Wantagh, and his 9-year-old son, Noah, crossed the finish line together. They also ran in honor of Geyer’s mother-in-law, who died of cancer six months ago.

Geyer said it was nice to have a race like this in his town. “I loved it,” he said. “This is the best part, doing it with my son.”

Tara Sumberac, of Wantagh, said she does a few races each year and wanted to take advantage of having a 5K available in her backyard while raising money for a good cause. “I felt really good,” she said after the race, which she ran for the first time. “It’s a nice flat course, and when you hit those shady spots it’s perfect.”

She convinced her friend Molly Olore, also of Wantagh, to run. “I loved the race,” she said. “I loved that it was nice and local.” The course was certified by the USA Track and Field Association.