The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

5k

Mud, Sweat and Cheers: Hundreds Expected to Get Dirty for a Good Cause in the Evan Lieberman Westchester Medical Center Mud Run

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Mud, Sweat and Cheers 1WHEN: Saturday, June 25. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Heats begin at 8:30 a.m.

WHAT: The Evan Lieberman Westchester Medical Center Trauma Mud Run is a 5K foot race where participants traverse over, under and through a series of challenging obstacles including tire swings, cargo nets, fire towers, running streams, a giant mud put and more. Adding to the fun this year will be a new course feature – spray guns – that will douse participants with bright colors as they traverse two of the courses toughest obstacles.

 

Mud, Sweat and Cheers 2The event is a true endurance race, one that tests runners’ physical and mental abilities. It is also an important fundraiser for Westchester Medical Center’s Joel A. Halpern Regional Trauma Center and its Burn Center services. The Level I trauma and burn care services offered by Westchester Medical Center are the only programs of its kind in the region. They are a lifeline for the Hudson Valley’s most seriously burned and injured residents.

*Fun for children (and their parents!): a special Kids’ Dash heat will step off at 9:15 a.m. for participants under the age of 13. The Kids’ Dash course will be shorter and less challenging than the adult course, but just as muddy and colorful!

Mud, Sweat and Cheers 3To learn more, sign up and watch a promotional video showing the course and it challenging obstacles, interested participants should visit events.westchestermedicalcenter.com/mudrun

The Evan Lieberman Westchester Medical Center Trauma Mud run offers media the opportunity to cover a “dirty” story with great visuals. All are invited to attend.

WHERE: On the grounds of Westchester Medical Center, 100 Woods Road, Valhalla, New York

WHO: Hundreds of participants from the Hudson Valley and beyond brave enough to tackle course challenges.

CONTACT: Andy LaGuardia

(914) 493-6532

andrew.laguardia@wmchealth.org

When the Race is Run for LOVE

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Jamie’s UVM teammates, left to right: Philip Vernimb, Women’s Division winner Sydney Durand, Men’s Division winner Aaron Szotka, Maurie Clark and Tucker Nixon.
Jamie’s UVM teammates, left to right: Philip Vernimb, Women’s Division winner Sydney Durand, Men’s Division winner Aaron Szotka, Maurie Clark and Tucker Nixon.

By Deborah Raider Notis

Photos by Pinsky Studio

Armonk was treated to a perfect, warm and sunny day on September 20th. Many residents celebrated the last day of summer at Armonk’s Chamber of Commerce sponsored Fall Festival. The town was bustling, with people laughing at the competitive pie eaters and humming along with the band on the Wampus Park gazebo. Children played on inflatables, competed in bean bag toss games, and ran the 100 Yard Donut Dash and Macintosh Mile. Highlighting the morning’s events was Jamie’s 5K Run for Love, a race in memory of Jamie Love and benefitting the Friends of the North Castle Library.

The 5K race began in 2008; Jane Ellen Gertz and Grace Mui of the Byram Hills PTSA made it part of their larger Halloween Fun event, and proceeds benefitted the PTSA. Soon after, the race became part of Armonk’s Cider and Donut Festival. Sean Ryan, then President of the Friends of the North Castle Library, a retired IBMer, and the track and cross country coach at Briarcliff High School, took over coordinating the event with proceeds donated to the Friends of the North Castle Library.

BHHS grads Jeannette Martimucci (left) and Evan Bauer often come back to visit and for community events. Running for the first time, Evan says he’s especially happy to be part of something that “brings community together.”
BHHS grads Jeannette Martimucci (left) and Evan Bauer often come back to visit and for community events. Running for the first time, Evan says he’s especially happy to be part of something that “brings community together.”

Friends of the North Castle Library supports programming at the North Castle Library, including events not supported by tax dollars. Ryan says he became involved to “bring a fun community events to our town where we could focus all residents on the good works we were doing and planned to do at our library.” In 2011, the race was part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show. Then, in 2013 the race was named for Byram Hills High School graduate Jamie Love.

Jamie was an Armonk resident, and a University of Vermont student studying mechanical engineering. While growing up in Armonk, he was actively involved in children’s programs at the North Castle Library. He worked at Hickory and Tweed Ski and Bicycle Shop, and he ran for the BHHS cross country team. In 2013, his Junior year, he passed away in his sleep from an undetected heart ailment.

The BHHS cross country team was always a huge part of the annual 5K race, whether it supported the PTSA or Friends of the North Castle Library. Jamie ran in the earliest races before attending UVM; his strong relationship and history with the BHHS team and the race made this a perfect way to memorialize him and honor his memory.

“We are incredibly honored that people continue to love Jamie and come out to support him even three years later,” Jamie’s mother, Michelle Love, says of this Chamber of Commerce sponsored event. Love is particularly appreciative of the Ryan family’s continued support for the event. “They do all the heavy lifting.”

Love describes her son as a young man who truly appreciated his friends, his family and his life. For friends who cannot make it to Armonk, her family tries to send out custom tee shirts. “That way, whenever friends and family cannot make it to the race, they can still celebrate Jamie, whether they are running, biking, hiking, eating or simply laughing together. This year, one friend even hosted a pulled pork dinner to honor Jamie,” mentions Love. The image on these shirts, designed by Jamie’s sister and Sean Ryan’s daughter, is a silhouette of Jamie Love and teammates from from BHHS. All of these boys went to State finals for cross country during high school.

Re-naming the race in Jamie’s honor sparked an added energy. This year, 286 runners finished Jamie’s Race for Love. Jamie’s UVM teammate, Aaron Szotka, came in first in the Men’s Division at 18:17, and Sydney Durand won the Women’s Division at 20:05. Maurie Clark and Eddie Paniccia came in second and third in the Men’s Division at 18:36 and 19:04 respectively. And Shannon Duffy, with a time of 21:39, and Isabella Vesco, with a time of 22:42, finished second and third in the Women’s Division.

Sean Ryan, whom Michelle Love gratefully describes as the event’s “heavy lifter.”
Sean Ryan, whom Michelle Love gratefully describes as the event’s “heavy lifter.”

The race also united the North Castle community with Jamie’s UVM teammates and friends, many of whom have run the race since Jamie’s death. “Having the race named after Jamie is another chance to celebrate Jamie and what an amazing friend he was. We preserve his memory by wearing JBLOVE rubberized bracelets everyday. I never take the bracelet off,” says Tucker Nixon, Jamie’s good friend and UVM classmate.

Armonk resident Charlotte Wittels, a friend of Jamie’s sister Noelle, brought the Byram Hills tennis team with her to run the 5k. “This incident was very close to home, and I’m glad I was able to support Noelle and her family by bringing the tennis team to the event,” states Wittels.

And they’re off–close to 300 runners turned out for Jamie’s 5K Run for Love this year.
And they’re off–close to 300 runners turned out for Jamie’s 5K Run for Love this year.
The day was a celebration of all things bright, beautiful and fun–just like Jamie would have wanted and loved!
The day was a celebration of all things bright, beautiful and fun–just like Jamie would have wanted and loved!

“The race serves as a great memorial for Jamie as well as a great reunion for all of us,” notes Philip Vernimb, who credits Jamie with his decision to attend UVM. “Jamie was what brought us together in the first place. When we were still running for UVM, every race was dedicated to Jamie. Personally, he is in my thoughts every day.”

Ultimately, Love feels that friends and family should honor her son by “laughing and living their lives to the fullest.” Jamie’s UVM friends fondly recall that Jamie always had a smile on his face. On a beautiful day like September 20th, with people enjoying the beautiful weather, listening to music, visiting with friends and community members, running races and shopping local, Jamie most definitely would have been smiling.

Deborah Raider Notis is a writer and co-owner of gamechanger, LLC, a free referral service connecting Westchester families to highly qualified, competitively priced instructors. She lives in Pleasantville with her husband, four boys and their dog Oscar. 

 

315 Supporters Laced Up to Run Miles for Miles

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Team Daniel Runs for Recovery from Mental Illness
By Janine Crowley Haynes

The Laitman family with marathon great, Bill Rodgers & Shari Applebaum, Miles Applebaum's mother (From left) Abbey Laitman, Hannah Laitman, Rachel Laitman, Rob Laitman, Bill Rodgers, Shari Applebaum, Daniel Laitman, Ann Laitman
The Laitman family with marathon great, Bill Rodgers & Shari Applebaum, Miles Applebaum’s mother (From left) Abbey Laitman, Hannah Laitman, Rachel Laitman, Rob Laitman, Bill Rodgers, Shari Applebaum, Daniel Laitman, Ann Laitman

Last Sunday in Armonk, nonprofit organization, Team Daniel, held a 5K fundraising event, Miles for Miles, at Byram Hills High School in memory of Miles Applebaum, 21, who was lost to suicide last October. The high school was a fitting venue. “There’s no better place to hold an event in memory of my son,” says Shari Applebaum. Miles Applebaum attended Byram Hills High School and was a cross-country runner who ran the course behind the high school many times over. When approached with the idea of holding the event at the high school, Principal Chris Borsari quickly mobilized support from the Student Wellness Advisory Committee (SWAC), teachers, students, community volunteers, friends, and family. “Everyone came out to make a difference,” says Shari Applebaum who is truly grateful for the overwhelming love and support from the Armonk and surrounding communities.

Bill Rodgers signs copies of his book, Marathon Man
Bill Rodgers signs copies of his book, Marathon Man

Dr. Rob Laitman, Bedford resident and co-founder of Team Daniel, opened with introductions. Tables were set up for mental health representatives from NAMI of Westchester, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.* Singers Bianca and Jacqueline Muniz sang an emotional rendition of Hallelujah. Bianca Muniz and Miles Applebaum met at Lagond Music School and quickly became close friends. Lagond’s band, County All Stars, played for the close to 400 supporters in attendance, with 315 of them lacing up to hit the cross-country trail as well as the track. Running alongside them was four-time winner of the Boston and New York City marathons, Bill Rodgers, who later signed copies of his book, Marathon Man, for his enthusiastic fans. In his 40 years of running, Rodgers participated in approximately 1,500 races–all for different causes. Rodgers noted, however, Miles for Miles was his first run for mental health.

Daniel Laitman of Team Daniel (on left) runs regularly as part of his mental health regimen after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Daniel Laitman of Team Daniel (on left) runs regularly
as part of his mental health regimen after being
diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Given that Dr. Laitman is a runner as well and has run in 68 marathons, it’s no surprise his fundraising events focus on running. He likens the cross-country terrain at Byram Hills High School with its sometimes rocky twists and turns to the long, rough road back to recovery from mental illness. “It’s hard, but you can’t give up. You have to run the course. You have to do the work,” says Dr. Laitman. Raising awareness to help dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health issues is an important undertaking for the Laitman family. Their son, Daniel Laitman, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15. Over the years, the family has raised between $150,000 to $200,000 for various mental health organizations. In 2014, Rob and Ann Laitman officially formed their nonprofit organization, Team Daniel Running for Recovery from Mental Illness, and have held four 5Ks, including Miles for Miles where they raised $17,000. “We have a long way to go to reach our goals, but slow and steady wins the race,” says Ann Laitman.

After the long battle to stabilize their son on the right medication, it became abundantly clear to the Laitmans that their main goals were for “Daniel to have a robust recovery and lead a full life.” No doubt, the Laitmans have realized their goals. Daniel Laitman, now 24, recently graduated from SUNY Purchase with a 3.41 GPA. He majored in screenwriting and playwriting and is currently pursuing his passion for stand-up comedy. “Robust recovery should be the norm, not the exception, for those struggling with mental health challenges,” states Rob Laitman.

It’s interesting to note that Ann Laitman is a general internist and Rob Laitman is a general internist, nephrologist, and gerontologist, but after their son developed schizophrenia, Rob Laitman read voraciously and has expanded his medical practice to include psychiatric internal medicine. Over the past six years, Rob Laitman has become expert in the medical management of clozapine. On their website, Rob Laitman writes passionately about seeing the person/patient as a whole, even when it comes to mental health challenges. The Laitmans found that along with internal medicine, integrating behavioral health (regular exercise, healthy diet, etc.) was an important component that factored into their son’s mental health equation. To read more about the Laitmans and Team Daniel, please visit their website, teamdanielrunningforrecovery.org.

Janine Crowley Haynes of Chappaqua is a freelance writer & author of My Kind of Crazy: Living in a Bipolar World.

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* Mental health organizations present at Miles for Miles:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention www.afsp.org, AFSP funds research, creates educational programs, advocates for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK (8255)) suicidepreventionlifeline.org provides free, confidential support to individuals and/or family members in crisis or emotional distress. Lifeline provides a list of warning signs for someone at risk for suicide. However, if somone is in immediate danger of attempting suicide, call 911.

NAMI of Westchester namiwestchester.org, whose latest mental health initiative involves setting up programs in middle schools and high schools throughout Westchester County.

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation bbrfoundation.org raises funds for research and awards grants to leading scientists around the world. 100 percent of funds raised for research are invested in grants leading to advances and breakthoughs in brain and behavior research.