Garden City runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes of all ages and levels of ability are cordially invited to enter the 22nd annual Nationwide Insurance 10 Kilometer Run for ASPIRE, to be held on the roads of Plainview-Old Bethpage on Saturday morning, April 10.

The 1999 edition of the run is once again dedicated to the memory of Stanley Kramberg, the Nationwide Insurance agent who devoted so much of his time, energy and money to the run and to the ASPIRE Program generally over the past several years. Stan lost his courageous battle to cancer in the summer of 1997, and the proceeds of this year's run will be used to continue the Stanley Kramberg Memorial ASPIRE Scholarship Fund to help the young amputee graduates of the ASPIRE program further their education.

The 1999 Nationwide Run for ASPIRE will begin and finish at the HB Mattlin Middle School, located on Washington Avenue in Plainview. The starting gun will go off promptly at 9 a.m. on the morning of April 10. There will also be a special 1/2 mile fun run for youngsters age 12 and under starting at 8:10 a.m. and a 10 Kilometer Racewalk starting at 9:05 a.m.

"Runners from Garden City have always played a major role in the Run for ASPIRE, and we hope to see another strong turnout in 1999," observed Bob Windorf, who along with Craig Courounis will be serving as the two new co-directors of the run. "We have always tried to give runners and walkers the best race possible for their money, and the record numbers who took part in the 1998 run proved that we are doing something right! I'm looking forward to welcoming all our local Long Island runners plus runners from all over the New York metropolitan area and beyond to Plainview on April 10!" Top local runners in the 1998 edition of the run included: Brian Cloherty, Michael Bassano and Harry Irwin.

Age group awards will be presented to the top three male and top three female finishers in each of 15 age groups through 80 and older, and the race committee expects to give out a full complement of awards in those higher age groups. In addition, there will be a team competition for male and female teams in the Open, 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and 60 and over age divisions. In addition to top overall, age groups and team awards, special awards will be presented to the top three male and female wheelchair athletes, the top three male and female open racewalkers, the top three male and female masters racewalkers, and the top "Clydesdale" runners. Special recognition will also go to the top finishers among the many amputees from the ASPIRE program who participate. The awards ceremony will be punctuated by a giant raffle, with all entrants eligible to win.

The entire net proceeds of the run will once again be donated to ASPIRE, the special program established in conjunction with Memorial Sloan Kettering and The Hospital for Special Surgery.

For more information, call 349-7646.