Mineola Mustang Run Committee Chairperson Linda Fairgrieve announced that the 20th Mineola Mustang Run/Walk held on Sunday, Nov. 21 raised a record $40,000. A record 1,040 registered for the event. Hundreds of Mineola runners and walkers participated in the 3.1-mile run/walk and one mile fun run-and-walk.

Perhaps the most startling aspect of the event is the over 300 volunteers who donated their time to make this event the most successful ever. The volunteers are the key to the success of this event because they stand at street corners to protect the runners and walkers from vehicle traffic, hand out drinks and food to the participants, hand out shirts, register the runners and helped with the finish line. Fairgrieve expressed her deep appreciation to all the people who helped. All volunteers received a free long sleeve shirt for their efforts.

The Mineola High School Jazz Band performed the national anthem for the start of both the one mile and the 5K and motivating music at the finish line of the 5K race. Runners and walkers expressed that the band was a wonderful addition.

The funds raised from this event will be divided equally among the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mineola Athletic Association, Mineola Police Athletic League, Mineola Auxiliary Police, Mineola Fire Department for life-saving equipment, Mineola Historical Society, Mineola Youth and Family Services, the Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop-University Hospital and Parent and Child Education Program (PACE).

In addition, special small donations are being made this year to the local Girls Scouts, Boy Scout Troop 45, the Mineola High School Music Department, Corpus Christi CYO youth basketball team and the Mineola High School Site Based Committee, which has used the money to purchase additional traffic reflective strips to be installed around the high school.

The top male Mineola runners for the 5K were Kevin Kiley Jr., Chris Winishi and Greg Michelena. The top female runners were Barbara Cronin-Stagnari, Julie Ann Fahner and Hannah Hinchliffe.

The top male Mineola walkers were Jude Ohrtman, Douglas Friedman and Dale Oswald. The top female walkers were Dee Wojis, Annie Cappelle and Donna Buonocore.

The top overall male runner for the 5K was Chris Fogarazzo with an incredible time of 15:29 (4:59 per mile). The top female runner for the 5K was Trisha Fasini with a time of 18:07 (5:50 per mile).

Mineola runners who performed well in the one mile run/walk included Michael Elefontel, Samantha Mendes, Erin Etherson, Geoffrey Shibahara, Jackie Stagnari and Alexander Carrera.

Special thanks are extended to the following organizations for their major donations to make this race a classic event: Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Winthrop-University Hospital, Western Beef, Entennman's Bakery, Bagel Express, Long Island Checker Cab and Hempstead Lincoln-Mercury.

Numerous organizations and people helped make this event the most successful ever including: Mayor Jack Martins and the Mineola Board of Trustees, the Village of Mineola, superintendent of public works Tom Rini, fire chief Scott Strauss and the Mineola Fire Department, Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mineola Chamber of Commerce president Carmela Bernacchio and the members of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce, Mineola School Superintendent Dr. Lorenzo Licopoli and the Mineola School Board, the Mineola School District and Team Mineola, Suzanne Skaflestad and Mineola Youth and Family Services, County Seat Kiwanis, Mineola Knights of Columbus, Chief Michael Spae and the Mineola Auxiliary Police, Mineola Athletic Association, Mineola Historical Society, Mineola Police Athletic League, PACE, Mineola Teachers Association, Mineola Middle School Builders Club, Mineola Key Club, members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), Inspector Lorraine Hannon and the 3rd Precinct, the Mineola High School Track Team, Boy Scout Troop 45, Boy Scout Troop 298/544, Cub Pack 221, Girl Scout Jr. Troop 1234, Brownie Troop 1336 and CYO coaches.

Trustee Fairgrieve expressed special gratitude to the entire Mineola business community for financial support of the event and urged all residents to remember their local business community whenever purchases need to be made. Special gratitude is also expressed to local officials who have financial support.

Sponsors for the event had their names listed in a journal, which was distributed throughout the entire community and to the participants of the event. Also, 2,100 long sleeve shirts were distributed to the participants, volunteers and sponsors. Each shirt has the names of all the sponsors. Additionally, 20,000 flyers were distributed throughout Long Island containing the names of the sponsors.

A great big thank you is extended to Greg Nold and Ron Clarke of Ron's 60 Minute Photo located on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola for their free photography services in covering the event.

The 21st Mineola Mustang Run/Walk will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005. Anyone wishing to help with the next event or be a sponsor should contact Linda Fairgrieve at 294-5914.