“We couldn’t ask for a better friend, we couldn’t ask for a better person to have on your side, a better ally and a better strategist,” King said. “I can’t say enough good things about Larry, except that he’ll always be here, today, tomorrow and into the future.”

“… When he came to this city of Long Beach,” D’Amato said, “politics was secondary, although it was his love, it was always for what is best for this city, this community, and it’s a spirit that will live on for many, many years to come.”

DiNapoli said that the street sign and 5K will carry on Elovich’s legacy. “It’s been a tough few months for this city,” he said. “We lost Larry, the storm hit and here we are. And to see the city on the rebound, that grit, that spirit, that resolve, that Larry personified — Larry really was Mr. Long Beach.”

D’Amato said that Larry and Helen rented their first apartment on New York Avenue, where Lisa was born. “We spent our childhood going to the beach on New York Avenue, and it always had a special place in my dad’s heart,” Lisa said.

Family and friends described Elovich as an avid runner who often participated in 5K races. Shortly after his death, his children set about launching a race in his name, to serve as a scholarship fundraiser for outstanding Long Beach High School students who have a sense of community, display integrity and strive academically and athletically.

The Larry Elovich Scholarship Fund, in cooperation with the City of Long Beach, hosted the event, which raised approximately $10,000 that will be awarded to a senior at an awards ceremony next May.

“He loved young people, he loved athletes, he loved giving kids a chance and fighting for them,” D’Amato told the crowd. “And the scholarship that you set up in his name to help deserving students — not necessarily the ones who have the highest academic achievements, but what about the good kid who comes in the middle and works, strives? An athlete who maybe is not the best, but is working and who is in need? The dollars that are raised from that foundation are going to make a difference, and so Larry will live on in the spirit of these young people.”