5 Towns 5K Run/Walk Raises Much-Needed Funds to Help Disabled Veterans

On April 19, 2015, with the weather cooperating, a crowd of more than 400 people, ranging in ages from infancy to 95 years old, gathered to participate in the 6th Annual 5 Towns 5K Run/Walk to support Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans–Beit Halochem. They came have fun while raising funds for rehabilitating these heroes injured in war, military activities, or in terror attacks.

This community event helps spread the word about Beit Halochem: the  rehabilitation centers in Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva, which provide individualized therapies, classes and physical challenges, specialized team sports and training, academic scholarships, family-oriented activities, and a healing community.

Dr. Isaac Seinuk, founder and organizer of the Annual 5 Towns 5K Run/Walk, and a longtime Board member of FIDV-Beit Halochem, was pleased to have so much community support, and that the race brought out many children. “Today I am proud to see that you care about the disabled heroes of Israel, the 51,000 men and women helped by FIDV-Beit Halochem. You are showing them that they are not alone. Thank you for coming and helping!”

There were races for everyone, from tots to senior citizens, along with prizes for the winners. Crossing the finish line first for the men was Dmitriy Krasney, 31, of Far Rockaway (who was also our 2014 winner), with a time of 18:29.1; the first woman to finish was Eliana Abittan, 23, of Lawrence, 25th overall, with a time of 24:18.5.  Of the older runners, 88-year-old Jonathan Stein, from West Hempstead, finished in 302 place, with a time of 56:32.5.

The complete results are available at www.start2finish.com. Just click on “Five Towns 5 Kilometer Run – April 19” to see the results. You can view photographs of the 2015 5 Towns 5K Run/Walk, at http://photobooth.pass.us/5t5k2015/

The event would not be possible without the generosity of the sponsors, particularly the main sponsors Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group, LLC, and Iris and Shalom Maidenbaum.  “Shalom has been with us since the very beginning. He was onboard once he learned that Beit Halochem helps disabled Israeli veterans, and serves all the different segments of Israeli society,” Seinuk noted. “I want to applaud his ongoing support for Beit Halochem and the 5 Towns 5k – it has really made a difference!”

Bagels, bananas and other finish line food were provided by Gotta Getta Bagel Café, Brach’s, and Sqeez’r, among many other local businesses that contributed. As in years past, Maidenbaum Property Tax Reductions was the major sponsor. For a complete list of sponsors, please click here.

Congratulations are in order to everyone who came, participated and raised funds for FIDV-Beit Halochem. We offer a very special thank you to Dr. Seinuk for his commitment to making this happen each year. “Even though we needed to move the date of the 5 Towns 5k only a month before the event, it still was a huge success. The weather cooperated and we had over 400 participants,” he noted.”  He closed with this reminder: “The date for the 2016 5Towns 5K is May 15, 2016. Save the date.

Hope to see you there!”