With the news that Nassau County's Budget for next year is very likely to merge the Department of Recreation and Parks into the Department of General Services, the need for local runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes to take part in the Nov. 18 Sprint for the Parks has become even greater.

The Greater Long Island Running Club will be staging the 4 Mile Sprint for the Parks at Eisenhower Park on Saturday morning, Nov. 18. Virtually all of the goods and services necessary to stage a first class race (including what should be dynamite shirts being donated by South Shore Outdoor) are being donated (including the services of the club, of course), and the entire net proceeds will be turned over to a special fund being set up solely for the special needs of Nassau County's recreational and parks programs. (The money will not go to the county's general fund; it will be used exclusively for Parks and Recreation purposes.)

All local runners, especially those who utilize our parks and care for the future of our parks, are urged to support the Nov. 18 Sprint for the Parks. This appeal is not limited just to residents of Nassau County. It is certainly in the interest of Suffolk and Queens residents who participate in the Long Island Marathon and other races at Eisenhower Park, Cedar Creek Park, Wantagh Park and the other fine Nassau County Parks to make sure that Nassau's parks remain viable and available for events that runners from all over the area can enjoy.

"The $10,000 or so that we hope to raise via this run may not solve all of the problems that Nassau's recreational and park programs face, but it is seed money, a base for establishing a fund that will ensure the future of the partnership between the Long Island running community and the folks that manage Nassau's parks," observed Greater Long Island Running Club Race Director Lynn Kotler. "We are looking for the biggest possible turnout at the Sprint for the Parks on Nov. 18. The pending merger of Parks and General Services makes the position of our recreational resources all the more precarious, and this is our last best chance to 'give something back' to our parks and to help ensure their future."

In addition to South Shore Outdoor, other generous sponsors of the run include the Mineola law firm of Pollack & Kotler, Polar Heart Monitors, Snyders of Hanover and Kozy Shack Puddings.

For information or entry forms to the Sprint for the Parks, call the Greater Long Island Running Club at 349-7646.