Rain didn't ruin Robbie's Run

A soggy Sunday didn't stop nearly 400 runners and 1,000 people in total last week from turning out for the Fifth Annual Robbie's Run for a Reason at Levy-Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick, which raised $40,000 to supply defibrillators for youth sports fields and leagues.

“We had an enormous pre-registration for the run, plus generous donations and many sponsors this year,” said Jill Levine, founder of Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation. “Even the continuing downpour couldn’t dampen the spirits of our runners and participants.”

The event featured a 5K race through the streets of Merrick, a one-mile mini-run and a kids’ fun run. James Panetta, 17, of Merrick was the top male finisher, completing the 5K in 16:46, while Danielle Wohbellen, 32, of Merrick, was the first-place female runner with a time of 22:55.

Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation was started in 2005 after 9-year-old Robbie Levine suffered a fatal heart problem on the field during baseball practice. Forever 9 sponsors the annual Robbie’s Run to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death and how AEDs save lives, and raises thousands of dollars that have been used to supply youth sports organizations across the New York area with life-saving devices. To learn more about Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation, visit www.robbielevinefoundation.org.

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