Hundreds of runners gathered in Seaford for the Seaford Wellness Council’s 20th annual Hot Chocolate 5K Run/Walk.
The Dec. 6 race began at 9 a.m., with the start and finish lines established in front of Seaford High School, at 1575 Seamans Neck Road.
“The people that make this come together have just been outstanding through the years,” Mike DiSilvio, the wellness council’s president, said. “It's just a wonderful holiday and festive event.”
John Schmuck, a 22-year-old Westbury resident, was the overall winner of the race, clocking in with a time of 17:13. The top female finisher was 44-year-old Long Beach resident Cristin Delaney-Guille, posting an impressive time of 18:56. Race participants received a shirt with a uniquely designed event logo and were treated to hot chocolate, bagels, an awards ceremony and extensive raffles after the race.
John Scaparro, president of Seaford Public Library Board of Trustees, and Margaret Grub, Seaford Chamber of Commerce president, were chosen as the race’s honorary starters. Starters are chosen from the general community and the chamber’s designated Businessperson of the Year.
Scaparro, a retired detective sergeant with the NYPD, also serves as president of the Nassau Library System’s board and is active in the Seaford Knights of Columbus. He previously served as grand knight and financial secretary, and was on the board of the Memorare Caterers.
He said he was honored to help start the race — and joked that the role involves “less moving around,” compared to when he used to walk the 5K. Grub, recently named Seaford Businessperson of the Year, also serves on the library board as secretary and works as a real estate salesperson with Century 21 AA Realty. She retired as an assistant principal with the New York City Department of Education.
“It is an honor. This is fabulous. I was amazed that they asked,” Grub said of her selection as a starter, adding that the organizational goals of the chamber and the wellness council are similar. “In our organizations, we all work towards the community and helping each other,” she said. “It's not for individuals, it's for all of us.”
Ken Nersesian, the wellness council’s vice president, called Grub and Scaparro “perfect examples of the caring community spirit of Seaford.”
The race is the council's sole fundraiser throughout the year, helping to fulfill its mission to assist in the improvement of the Seaford community's quality of life by promoting general community wellness.
“We get a lot of things done,” DiSilvio said, pointing to the council's efforts such as the restoration of the Seaford Gazebo, as well as the Washington Avenue Park and Tackapausha Park cleanups.
He also highlighted how the council brings “a lot of talent to the high school and the other schools to talk about subjects like bullying, health and wellness.”
Several local elected officials also showed up to support the runners, including State Sen. Steven Rhoads, Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, Town Councilman Chris Schneider and Nassau County Legislator Kayla Knight.
The race marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, as both DiSilvio and Nersesian will be stepping down from the leadership positions on the council. Board member Laura Metzdorff-Rivera will replace DiSilvio as president next year, and Hal Udell will take over as vice president of the council.
“We're just so grateful to those that are stepping down and handing the baton to us for everything they've done,” Metzdorf-Riveria said. “We're excited to keep it going.”
Udell echoed those sentiments, adding, “What they've done over the past 20 years is build a community. It's not just about a council, it's about what they've done in this town, and what we're trying to do is follow up that.”
Proceeds from this year’s event have been designated to support the Seaford Public Library’s Summer 2026 Children’s Reading Program, and those interested in donating or learning more about the Seaford Wellness Council are encouraged to visit SeafordWellness.com.
