Holiday Events

Hot Chocolate Run right around the corner

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About a thousand runners will hit the streets of Seaford on Dec. 6 as the Wellness Council will hold its 11th annual Hot Chocolate Run, beginning and ending at the high school.

Wellness Council President Mike DiSilvio said the event is one of the biggest 5K races on Long Island in terms of the number of participants. He said it is popular because the course is flat and has only four turns, so it is a good place for runners to set personal time records. Many of those roads have been repaved over the past year, so DiSilvio said it will be even better for runners.

“It’s right after Thanksgiving,” DiSilvio said. “People sometimes get in the mood to get out there an exercise a bit.”

The event is open to both runners and walkers, and it draws participants from Seaford and across Long Island. DiSilvio said it is a good family event.

The race, which begins just south of Seaford High School on Seaman’s Neck Road, will have two honorary starters. This year, the Wellness Council selected Dr. Gary Sgroi, a chiropractor at the Chamber of Commerce’s small businessperson of the year, and Bill Erb, a longtime Seaford resident and volunteer.

Erb, who has lived in Seaford since 1956, said he was very pleased to be chosen and is looking forward to race day. He has been very active in his church, St. William the Abbott, and once served on the pastoral council. His five children attended elementary school there, before moving on to Seaford High School.

He helped start the Long Island Broncos youth football organization and was the first president of the Seaford Booster Club. Erb served on the Seaford Board of Education, including a stint as its president. He participated in the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and received on honorary lifetime membership from New York State PTA.

Erb is also a member of the Seaford Historical Society, and a recipient of the 9/11 Committee’s Patriot Award.

“I love to do things that can help out in the community,” he said. “Seaford is a wonderful community and there’s a lot of great people here. I hope to be in Seaford until my last breath.”

DiSilvio said the Hot Chocolate Run is one of those events that makes Seaford special. It is the Wellness Council’s primary fundraiser of the year, typically raising between $10,000 and $15,000. “We put that right back into the community,” he said.

The Wellness Council hosts activity nights for middle school students, maintains the gazebo and World War I memorial by the train station, holds an annual clean-up at the Tackapausha Preserve and is a sponsor for the Seaford Public Library’s summer concert series. Two years ago, the money was used to help local victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The Hot Chocolate Run originated in the 1980s, but only lasted a few years. It was revived in 2004. “There was a long gap in having anything like this in Seaford, and the Wellness Council decided that we wanted to host some type of event where we could bring the community together,” DiSilvio said. “Once we resurrected it, it took a life of its own and has grown at a pace that we’re very proud of.”

On Dec. 6, DiSilvio said he is hoping for cold weather to make it truly feel like a winter event. He also wants to see a good crowd lining the streets to cheer on the runners. All participants will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt, and there will be hot chocolate and bagels after the race.

There will be numerous raffles, and prizes will be awarded to the top runners in several categories. Online registration is $20 and is open through Dec. 4.

Hot Chocolate Run

When: Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m.

Course: The race starts on Seaman’s Neck Road south of Seaford High School, continues north to Jerusalem Avenue, east to Washington Avenue, south to Brooklyn Avenue, west to Seaman’s Neck Road, and then north to the finish line at the high school.

Fees: $20 online at www.active.com; $25 all paper applications; $30 day of race

For more information, visit www.seafordwellness.com