Atlantic Beach resident Richard Brodsky runs to live

He received the diagnosis that he was HIV positive in 1997. But a year later, Atlantic Beach resident Richard Brodsky ran his fastest marathon ever. Five years later he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

However, he thought if he was able to run a marathon, he wasn’t going to die anytime soon. “It looked like I was going to beat this,” Brodsky said. “I have two terminal illnesses and I’m able to run marathons.”

Through a suggestion from his brain oncologist, Brodsky decided to start the Richard M. Brodsky foundation in hopes of showing people they shouldn’t give up hope despite a terminal diagnosis. The mission of the foundation is to provide shelter, food and shoes for orphans in Kenya and raise money for research to find a cure or vaccine for AIDS, help those already affected by AIDS and brain cancer.

Brodsky, 58, realized due to the lack of medical treatments available in most African nations, his three daughters would most likely be without a father. “My wife and I have been to Africa six times and ran several marathons there,” he said. “People started asking me, ‘what are you doing for people in America?’”

So in 2008, Brodsky organized a 5K AIDS/Cancer Run and Walk. This year, the run is on June 12 at Cedar Creek Park in Seaford.

Michael Gliner of PIP Printing in Inwood donated a banner for the run and said he’s been doing a lot of printing for the foundation over the past few years. “We do different things for the foundation,” Gliner said. “He has a good following so it gives us good publicity and gives us a chance to give back to the local community.”

Owners Kenneth and Keith Graham, of Garden Gallery, in Inwood donate $100 to each of Brodsky’s runs. “Richard is a customer here and we think it’s a really good cause,” Kenneth said. “We believe the money is going to a good place and every year we try to donate.”

Benny Ngai of Brooklyn said he’s run in three Brodsky Foundation runs and as a cancer survivor himself, Ngai said he came across the foundation after he sought out organizations with cancer-promoting athletic events. “When I was offered a job at Starbucks in Asia, I had to relocate so I went to a specialist for my allergies before I left and the specialist said I didn’t have allergies, I had cancer,” he said. “I stopped everything and within three weeks I was getting radiation and chemotherapy at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.”

Since becoming involved in Brodsky’s foundation, Ngai shared his story of survival with Brodsky and continues to be motivated by him. “His age, the fact that he keeps running and that he believes he was given a second chance is inspiring,” Ngai said. “Since my treatment, it’s been a great recovery but it’s a journey.”

Brodsky said he hopes the run raises awareness. “Just because people are living with HIV or cancer, doesn’t mean they can’t live productive lives,” he said. “I want to help eliminate the stigma of AIDS and cancer.”

For more information on the 5K

AIDS/Cancer Run and Walk, visit www.5kaidscancer.com.