Garden City residents and employees of businesses there are invited to join corporate executives across Long Island who are preparing now for their annual rite of summer. The 3.5-mile JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge (open to runners, walkers and joggers) will celebrate its 17th running at Jones Beach on Tuesday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. In a new wrinkle this year, New York Islanders great and recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Clark Gillies will be on hand to start the race, which begins and ends at Parking Field 5, near the intersection of Wantagh Parkway and Ocean Drive.

Bookspan and the Coalition on Child Abuse & Neglect, both located in Garden City, were among the record-setting 6,995 companies that competed in last year's event. The race has seen its participation rise each year, topping out at more than 8,400 runners last year. The international series is now in its 26th year, starting in 1977 with 200 runners from 50 companies in one New York City race, and has grown to over 200,000 competitors annually in 16 cities in four countries.

"It's a spectacular event for Long Island," JPMorgan Chase Senior Vice President Joe Purcell said. "All of the companies are from Long Island, they come out here for a beach party, to have a barbecue and share stories."

Individual awards will be presented to the fastest overall male/female and male/female CEO competitors while team awards will be given in the following divisions:

-- Men's Division- teams consisting of five men

-- Women's Division- teams consisting of three women

-- Co-ed Division- teams consisting of two men and two women

Winning teams in each division will advance to compete in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge championship, which will be staged on New York City's renowned Park Avenue on Saturday, October 6.

For more information on how to register for the 2002 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge on Long Island, call (516) 349-7649, or log onto the official JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge website, www.jpmorganchasecc.com.