Bridie Goldstein, a resident of Massapequa since 1969, was a bright and vital part of the St. Mary's Children and Families Foundation family, and was dedicated to the children and families the agency serves. Sadly, she died in an accident while jogging in Massapequa in January 2003.

The Bridie Goldstein 5K Road Race/Walk will be held in her memory Nov. 29, rain or shine. This run is presented by the St. Mary's Children and Families Foundation. Runners and walkers will enjoy the mostly flat course through Syosset. The proceeds raised by this annual event will be used by St. Mary's to support the children and families it serves.

Goldstein was born to a large family in the west of Ireland Oct. 25, 1945. At the age of 17, she moved to New York, following a brother and sister. She married and attended nursing school while raising three children. Goldstein worked as a nurse in area hospitals and then built a business of her own that provided home health care. She worked at St. Mary's in Syosset for nearly a decade, first as a nurse and then as Supervisor of Nursing.

According to many at St. Mary's, Goldstein was tireless in helping others and always did so with a sense of humor. She kept a sign in her home that reflected her passion. It read: "One hundred years from now, it will not matter what sort of house I lived in, or the kind of clothes I wore, but the world may be much different because I was important in the life of a child."

In addition, Goldstein was an avid runner who competed in many 5K races and completed a New York City Marathon. She was a member of the Massapequa Road Runners and played soccer in a local over-40 league.

St. Mary's Children and Family Services, through its residential and community based programs, serves children and families of all races and religions referred to them through social service districts, family courts, probation departments, schools, mental health clinics and managed care organizations.

Many of the children who come to the attention of St. Mary's have been victims of family violence. Others are the products of broken homes, where substance abuse or mental illness of the parents makes remaining at home an unacceptable option. Still others have serious emotional disturbances, which require a structured therapeutic milieu.

The families served by St. Mary's are facing crises, which bring on emotional upheavals. Many are experiencing the pain of illness or loss; others are struggling with economic pressures, addictions, or intellectual limitations which make coping with the day to day challenges of parenting more than they can handle.

Race registration forms can be found at the following website: www.run-for-children.org.