FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dick Traum
Achilles Track Club
(212) 354-0300
Andrew Gould
NYC Sports Commission
(212) 487-5665
Commissioner Podziba and Commissioner Benepe Announce
the 2nd Annual Hope & Possibility 5-Mile Run/Walk
New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba and Parks & Recreation
Commissioner Adrian Benepe announced today that on Sunday, August 1st,
nearly 2,000 athletes will participate in the 2nd Annual Hope & Possibility
5-Mile Run/Walk presented by the Achilles Track Club. The race will take
place in Central Park, where participants will include volunteers from the
New York City Police and Fire Departments, as well as veterans from the war
in Iraq. The event, which was designed to celebrate the human spirit, will
commence at 8:30 a.m. at Central Park's East Drive at 99th Street.
"We are delighted to welcome the 2nd Annual Hope & Possibility Walk/Run,
and applaud the courage and determination of its participants who have
overcome obstacles in order to experience the joy and excitement of sports
and recreation," said Commissioner Podziba. "In particular, we wish to
thank our nation's heroes who have returned from the war in Iraq and
continue to serve as a great inspiration to all New Yorkers."
"Participants in this event embody the spirit and strength of New Yorkers
and the people of this country," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner
Adrian Benepe. "It is an honor to host this walk/run in one of our City's
great public parks."
Last year, the event was conceived by Achilles Board Chair Trisha Meili,
the author of I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and
Possibility. It was only recently that Meili revealed her identity after
being the victim of a Central Park attack on April 19, 1989. Meili will be
running as a guide, alongside State Senate Minority Leader David Paterson,
who is legally blind.
"These are strong, healthy adults who, until very recently, were in superb
physical shape," said Dick Traum, President of Achilles. "The emotional and
physical impact of their injuries is devastating. We believe that the
physical activity, goal setting, and personal achievement can have a direct
effect on the success of their rehabilitation."
An estimated 50 Iraqi War veterans, most of whom are amputees, will be
participating in the race. Sergeant Roy Mitchell, an amputee currently
undergoing rehab at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.
said, "I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have people like Achilles
give us an incentive to go on."
The day's event will also include a ½-mile Kids Fun Run and a "Walk a Mile
in the Shoes of..." challenge, which will allow able-bodied athletes to
experience jogging as a blind runner, a wheelchair user, or an amputee
athlete.
The Hope & Possibility Run is presented by Cushman and Wakefield, along
with major sponsors Silverstein Properties and Goldman Sachs. For more
information on the Hope & Possibility 5-Miler, or to sign up, please visit
www.achillestrackclub.org.
The New York City Sports Commission ensures the continuation and growth of
a healthy environment for professional, amateur and scholastic sports
activities in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has
played a role in attracting or creating many new sporting events, including
the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, the BMC Software NYC Cycling
Championship, the NYC Fiesta Cup, Senior Men's Tennis Championship, Let
Freedom Run and The Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race. The agency is also
working with NYC2012 to bring the Olympic Games to The World's Second
Home(tm).
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