Reading, writing and ... running?

The Malverne Rotary Club, in conjunction with North Shore-LIJ Franklin Hospital, held its seventh annual 5K Run/Walk and a health fair at Malverne High School on Saturday to raise funds for the Malverne Educational and Fitness Foundation.

According to Phyllis Wright, of the Rotary Club, this year’s turnout was better than last years — about 100 runners participated in the race. “It was wonderful,” she said. “We had great sunshine, we had Peter Hawkins [who rides in a wheelchair] ... it was a wonderful day.”

The health fair provided free screenings, including blood pressure, hearing and cholesterol; seminars; healthy-food-cooking demonstrations; and education about cancer and stroke awareness, medication safety, nutrition, radiology and more.

“The reason why we first started the event was to call attention to the lack of fitness and physical educational pieces that the school district could afford,” Wright said. “We’ve really tried to ... support activities that we can help to better the school district and the community because the bottom line is whatever it is that we do is also for the better of the school community.”