By James Ford
PIX11
RANDALL’S ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — Despite Tropical Storm Ophelia’s non-stop rainfall, steady winds, and occasionally strong gusts; a few hundred participants, supporters, and staff at an addiction recovery program were outside for hours to promote health and well-being.
The event was sponsored by New York’s Very Own PIX11 News.
Odyssey House held its 18th annual Run for Your Life, a 5K run, and 1-mile walk in the parkland around Icahn Stadium. The event also featured a health fair, children’s games, a prize raffle, a silent auction, and other activities despite the weather.
Most of the activities were held on the concourse under the stadium bleachers, which kept many of the participants from getting soaked.
The walk and run, however, were held in the elements, but, as Odyssey House’s president and CEO Peter Provet pointed out, the organization’s participants proved that they could handle it.
“All of our friends here are people in recovery,” he said in an interview near the finish line of the 5K. “They’ve seen tougher times. A little bit of rain, that does not stop us.”
PIX11 News reporter James Ford emceed the event and handed out trophies to the winners in each 5K age and gender class.
Most of the running times were slower than in years past when the weather was more amenable.
However, many runners said that did not dampen their spirits.