For most people, running a marathon is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. For Eva Casale, it has become a yearly act of remembrance.
On May 2, Casale completed the final leg of Team E.V.A.’s “7 Marathons in 7 Days” challenge in downtown Glen Cove, capping off nearly 184 miles of running across Long Island to honor veterans, active-duty military personnel and fallen service members. The finish also marked the 10th anniversary of Team E.V.A. — Every Veteran Appreciated — a grassroots mission that has evolved into one of Long Island’s most visible veteran tributes.
Supporters, veterans, Gold Star families and local officials gathered outside Glen Cove City Hall as Casale crossed the finish line after a weeklong journey that included stops at memorials, cemeteries, VFW halls and community landmarks throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Over the past decade, Casale and her team have logged more than 2,000 miles and visited thousands of “Points of Honor,” memorial sites dedicated to military service members.
“This mission has never been about the miles — it is about honoring those who gave everything,” Casale said during the closing ceremony. “Every step forward is a promise that they will never be forgotten.”
For Casale, the mission is deeply personal. Her father served in the Korean War, and her brother is also a veteran. Nearly every member of Team E.V.A. has a connection to military service.
The organization’s roots trace back to Casale’s involvement in charity running and her interactions with Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization that supports families of fallen service members.
“I’ve been doing a lot of charity runs for quite some time,” Casale said. “And I decided that it was time to focus on these goals for the families and see what I could do to bring more awareness.”
Casale’s running journey began in East Moriches, where she started running with her late father, Jerry Casale, at age 15 as a way to stay active. One lap around the block eventually became 10-mile runs, and by 1983, at age 18, she completed her first marathon — the New York City Marathon.
Years later, another life-changing moment reshaped her understanding of purpose and service.
In 2006, while driving to work as director of information technology for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Casale heard a radio story about a family searching for a kidney donor for their father. She immediately returned home, researched the information and realized she was a match.
“Something spoke to me and said, you can help this person,” Casale recalled. “I don’t know why that day, that story, at that time triggered that I could help this person.”
Casale ultimately donated one of her kidneys to the man. Following her recovery, she became involved with fundraising runs for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and later served as a board trustee for the organization’s Long Island chapter and head coach of its running team.
“It made me think this is my next purpose,” Casale said. “I can use my gifts for running long distances to help other people.”
That philosophy eventually evolved into Team E.V.A., which now combines endurance athletics with military remembrance across both Nassau and Suffolk counties. During this year’s run, Casale and her team stopped at more than 400 Points of Honor throughout Long Island, including Morgan Park, VFW Post 347 and Glen Cove City Hall in Glen Cove; Clifton Park in Sea Cliff; and waterfront memorial locations in Oyster Bay and Bayville, along with stops throughout Suffolk County communities including Patchogue, Medford, Westhampton and Sag Harbor.
“This year marks a milestone, our 10th anniversary of honoring our veterans in this way,” Casale said during the ceremony. “Over the past decade, we’ve placed more than 3,000 roses at memorials and resting places. Each rose is more than a flower, it represents a story, a sacrifice.”
Christopher Wyllie, a Navy SEAL who attended the event, praised Casale and her team for their commitment to veterans and military families.
“It’s an unbelievable feat of sheer goodwill, determination, and grit to do this every year, year after year, and to bring awareness to veterans,” Wyllie said. “Spreading the word to ensure that every veteran is appreciated is a tremendous undertaking by her and her team.”
Wyllie said the anniversary felt especially meaningful given the broader historical milestones taking place this year, including the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks and 15 years since the death of Osama bin Laden.
Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck also praised Casale and Team E.V.A. for inspiring the Glen Cove community throughout the weeklong run.
“Over the past week, Eva Casale and her Team EVA have shown us what true dedication, strength and heart look like,” Panzenbeck wrote in a statement to the Herald.“The entire Glen Cove community is incredibly proud of Eva and her team.”
