Runners ready for Hot Chocolate Run

Seaford’s biggest race is just days away. 

The Seaford Wellness Council will host the 16th annual Hot Chocolate Run on Saturday. The event, recognized as the third-largest 5K race on Long Island, starts at 9 a.m. at Seaford High School. 

Mike DiSilvio, the council president, said the race is popular among runners from across Nassau County because the course is flat and has only four turns. The competition also brings the community together, he added. The Seaford Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club help organize the event. 

The race has two honorary starters. The council elects one, and the other honoree is always the chamber’s small businessperson of the year. DiSilvio said he was proud to announce  that Fred Roth would be the community delegate, and Dr. Sheldon Elfenbein the chamber representative at this year’s event. 

“Both these men have long histories in Seaford,” DiSilvio said. “The council and Seaford could not have selected any better individuals or more community-caring people than Sheldon Elfenbein and Fred Roth.” 

Roth has been an active member of the Seaford Fire Department since 1948. During his 68-year tenure, he has served as chief of the department and as a long-term member of the Board of Fire Commissioners.

For nearly 70 years, Roth has lived on Seamans Neck Road. He and his wife, Barbara, raised their two daughters in the neighborhood. 

Elfenbein has been a practicing physician in Seaford since 1963. According to the council, he has cared for four generations of some local families. 

For years, Elfenbein provided medical examinations for high school athletes. In addition to managing his own practice — which he now shares with his son — he served as the chairman of the Family Practice Department at Massapequa General Hospital. He was also the hospital’s chief of staff.

“Our honorary co-starters are emblematic of what this Seaford event is all about —  true caring for our community,” said Coleen Graziose, the council’s secretary. Vice President Ken Nersesian also described them as the perfect honorary co-starters for the run.

Race applications are available on the council’s website, www.seafordwellness.com. Runners can also register online at www.active.com. The registration fee is $20 online, $25 with paper applications and $30 on race day.

Awards will be presented to the top male and female finishers and in numerous age groups. The Lions Club has donated trophies for the first-place male and female Seaford residents. 

Runners and walkers will enjoy bagels — and, of course, hot chocolate — after the race. The entire event can be described as “a morning of healthy exercise and an opportunity to socialize with your neighbors,” DiSilvio said. 

All proceeds collected at the Hot Chocolate Run are used for community programs in Seaford. Council leaders said the race has helped them support projects relating to substance abuse awareness, health education and leadership training.