A Mile In His Shoes Viewing Sept. 25

Television movies for next weekend, Sunday, Sept. 25 will feature A Mile in His Shoes, an uplifting film set in the 1940s about an autistic youth who is recruited to play for a minor league team, Milwaukee Brewers.

The film will air on Sunday evening at both 7 and 9 p.m. on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC). A Mile in His Shoes is an adaptation of a novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Massapequa resident Frank Nappi.

Register Now for Blazing Trails 4-Autism Run/Walk

Registration is open for the fourth annual edition of the Grillo & Associates Blazing Trails 4-Autism Four Mile Run/Walk, to be held on Sunday morning, Oct. 23 at the Great Neck South High School/Middle School campus.  Every runner, walker and supporter of families who are dealing with autism is invited to be part of this year’s event.  The event will benefit the Eden II and Genesis Foundation, which supports children and adults with autism through specialized programs.

The event will be held over the same great course as last year – four challenging but fair miles on the rolling hills and scenic vistas of the local Lake Success neighborhood and thence to the campus for an exciting finish on the high school track.

Sleepy Hollow 5K Charity Run Oct. 30

The Hagedorn Little Village School, Jack Joel Center for Special Children and the Carman Foundation will hold their annual 5K Charity Run Sunday, Oct. 30 with a Kids Fun Run at 9:30 a.m. The 5K start is at 10 a.m. at Brady Park, Lake Shore Drive in Massapequa Park. The grand sponsor is Timeless Treasures.

Registration entry fee: Entries received by Sept. 30 for the 5K - $18.

Novel Adapted For Television Premier

A Mile In His Shoes Cable Viewing Set For Sept. 26

In 2006, longtime Massapequa resident Frank Nappi published his first novel, Echoes From The Infantry, one that was inspired by stories heard from local World War II veterans the author had befriended.

On the heels of that success, Frank returned to fiction with a compelling novel about an autistic youth who becomes a big league pitcher. The Legend of Mickey Tussler was published in 2008, but it proved to be such an inspiring tale that Hollywood soon came knocking. Now, after three years of negotiations with various companies, the novel has been made into a television movie. A Mile In His Shoes is set for a Sept. 26 viewing on GMC TV, a television movie starring Dean Cain (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) as Coach Arthur Murphy and newcomer Alex Schroder, son of Ricky Schroder, who plays the star pitcher, Mickey Tussler. Nappi told The Massapequan Observer that the GMC cable channel isn’t part of the regular programming that Nassau County residents receive. However, he said that the film could be seen through both Direct TV and Verizon Cable outlets.

Farmingdale Summit To Hold 9/11 Remembrance Walk

For the past nine years the Farmingdale Community Summit has gathered together to commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001. This year marks the 10th anniversary and the Farmingdale Community is holding a special gathering, a Remembrance Walk, from the monument at Allen Park in Farmingdale to the Farmingdale Public Library.

The Remembrance Walk will take place on Thursday, Sept. 8 at Allen Park. Assembly will begin at 5:30 p.m., the walk to the library will start at 6 p.m. The walk will leave Allen Park, head west up Motor Avenue and then North on Merritts Road to the Library.

Wantagh Congregational Golf Outing Set for Sept. 20

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, the Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church, is sponsoring a Golf Outing being held at the Lido Golf Club in Lido Beach.

The proceeds from the event will go to supporting the Freeport Emergency Food Pantry. The Long Island Council of Churches (LICC) developed this pantry in 1970 to meet the needs of individuals and families in crisis who do not have enough money to take care of necessities, including food. They provide a short-term supply of food while assisting people in finding more lasting solutions to their needs.

Bowling for Wishes A Big Success

Lyons, Former Jets Star, Can Still Attract A Crowd

On Friday night, August 12, The Marty Lyons Foundation hosted its 17th Annual Nassau County ‘Bowling for Wishes’ event, held at 4235 Merrick Rd. The proceeds from the night of bowling will benefit the Long Island Chapter of the Marty Lyons Foundation. Lyons and Kenny Schroy, both former New York Jets stars, hosted the event. They were assisted by lead volunteer John Gordon, as local residents jammed into the venue, making the evening another big success. Lyons was an All-Star defensive lineman with the famed “New York Sack Exchange” teams of the early 1980s. He also starred for Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 1979 national championship squad at the University of Alabama.

Pols Turn Out for Baldinger Clinic

The 17th Annual Baldinger/NFL Charity Football Clinic was held recently at John J. Burns Park in Massapequa. Nassau County Legislatures Presiding Officer Peter J. Schmitt was on hand to support the clinic which emphasizes football fundamentals and the positive impact of participating in all sports. Shown in photo, back row, left to right, are: Gary Baldinger, Rebecca Baldinger, Kevin Shippos, Brian Baldinger, Legislator Peter J. Schmitt, Kyle Berna, Dom DiFranco, Assemblyman Joseph Saladino, Rich Cassaro, Rick Falta. Front row, left to right, are: Rocco Dioniso, Lee Laroche, Heidi Baldinger, Brad Baldinger, Thomas Stueber, Matthew Stueber.

Town of Oyster Bay to Hold Soccer Festival at John J. Burns Park

Highly Regarded Collegiate Teams to Square Off

The Town of Oyster Bay will host a Soccer Festival on Saturday, Aug. 20 at John J. Burns Town Park in Massapequa. According to Town Supervisor John Venditto, the event will feature the NCAA men and women’s soccer forces from Hofstra, Binghamton, and Long Island University’s C.W. Post Campus.

The NCAA Men’s Soccer game will begin at 3:30 p.m. with Hofstra University versus Binghamton University. The NCAA Women’s Soccer game will begin at 7:30 p.m. with Hofstra versus C.W. Post.

Heat Strikes Out At Football Clinic

Youngsters Learn the Basics From Former NFL Stars

The weekend of July 22-24 was the hottest, most humid, and most severe one on record, with temperatures bursting past the 100-degree level, accompanied by a grinding humidity. That kind of weather would keep the average youngster indoors and if not, then straight to a swimming pool. But the young men of Massapequa are made of sterner stuff. On Saturday, July 23, a number of them made their way to John J. Burns Park for the 17th annual NFL Kiwanis Baldinger Football Clinic.

Despite the weather, numerous local youngsters attended the clinic, where they were given tips and drills in various skills, including running, passing, blocking, and tackling. Over the past decade, over 1,600 youngsters have attended the clinic, and Saturday’s event only added to the program’s success.