Glen Cover’s week of marathons for vets

When people talk about the seven marathons that Glen Cove resident Eva Casale runs in as many days, they invariably speak with equal parts astonishment, exhaustion on her behalf, and admiration. But for Casale herself, it’s not the running that troubles her.

“I’m nervous,” she said at her kickoff event at Elks’ Lodge 1565 in Huntington. “I have to give a speech. It’s just the buildup and the excitement,” she added, noting that once she began running, her nerves would fade into the background.

The excitement in the reception room of the Elks’ Lodge was palpable. Members of Casale’s logistic team — wearing t-shirts that read, “Every Veteran Appreciated,” an acrostic of the runner’s name — scurried around, making introductions and ensuring that the many veterans and dignitaries in attendance were attended to.

Casale has been a distance runner for many years, and has used her athleticism to raise awareness for numerous causes. Indeed, it was people that she met at other events that moved her to direct her efforts toward veterans issues. “I’ve met a lot of sailors and soldiers and marines who run with prosthetics,” she said, “I’ve met a lot of families, and they’ve sort of become my family.”

She runs, Casale said, to appreciate — and to get those who follow her feat to appreciate — the sacrifices of members of the military: those who are currently deployed; those who died in the line of duty; and those who have returned home and who could very well be our co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances.

This year is Casale’s third time running 184 miles in a week, and in order for her to send the strongest message of appreciation to service members, she plans her itinerary carefully, sketching out a path that includes as many “points of honor” — military monuments, cemeteries, memorial parks, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts — as she can work into her route.

“Veterans are worth something,” said Pete Jepson, a navy veteran who was deployed to South America in the 60s, adding, “They’re special.” He is now a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcyclist veterans who frequent events honoring service members — living or dead — to show their support.

If Jepson hadn’t recently injured his back, he would ride alongside Casale in a three-wheeler, he said, flying a large American flag to give curious witnesses a clue that the event is veteran-related, not just a local out for a jog.

While Jepson said that he’s glad Casale’s week-long run will bring awareness to veterans’ issues, he hopes it will bring in money too. “There’s a lot of veterans out there,” he said, “who for various reasons, need money.” He added, “Uncle Sam doesn’t pay them a lot, you know, they’re not millionaires.”

Jepson talked about the money and effort that goes into outfitting a home for someone who lost limbs and the difficulty someone with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a common malady among returning veterans can have at getting a job. “They need that extra support,” he said. “It’s about time America woke up to this.”

All the money raised by Team EVA — including a $10,000 check from Casale’s employer, the Suffolk Federal Credit Union, presented to her at the kickoff event — will go toward Hope for the Warriors, an organization that provides medical coordination, psychological counseling, family support, scholarships and other services to service members and their families.

Steve Bartomioli, senior director of sports and recreation for Hope for the Warriors, knew Casale from before she began working with the organization, as a fellow member of what he called, the “running community.”

“Eva is an amazing distance runner,” Bartomioli said. “She runs ultra-marathons” — which can be almost twice as long as a 26.2 mile regular marathon — “for fun.

“Over the years,” he continued, “it’s been amazing to watch her grow the awareness of our project. She’s a force of nature. She’s just amazing.”