Rhulen Rock Hill Run & Ramble (R4) Celebrates Another Successful Year!
The R4 is one of the largest footraces in the Hudson Valley, NY. Co-founded by Firestorm Co-Founders Suzy Rhulen Loughlin, CAO and Harry Rhulen, CEO, the race has raised more than $1,000,000 to date to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Trevor Loughlin Foundation
One Father’s Day, June 20, 2015, hundreds of runners and walkers were at the starting line for the Annual Rhulen Rock Hill Run & Ramble 5K around Lake Louise Marie, NY.
This year 2015 R4 was a tremendous success with 998 participants raising approximately $70,000, which will directly benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Trevor Loughlin Foundation Patient Fund, which issues grants to individuals battling blood cancers and acute catastrophic illnesses.
This could not have been possible without sponsors, donors, volunteers, and participants.
The new ‘Brittany Beckman Bakery, was unveiled, in honor of Brittany Beckman, 24, who passed away this year after a seven year battle with Leukemia. Brittany was a former R4 Patient Fund Beneficiary who helped raise awareness about blood cancer and our need to do more to find a cure. The Brittany Beckman Bakery was founded by ‘Team Young’ of Young’s TKD, Inc. The bakery offered delicious cupcakes, muffins and pastries, prepared by Team Young parents that rivaled a Paris patisserie in both presentation and taste. The organizers of the R4 thank the Resnick Group and Orange County Tent Rental for donating the use of the bakery case and cafe tables). Brittany’s family donated a great raffle prize for which all R4 participants were eligible.
The R4 Overall Winner was Behailu Bekele-Arcuri, of Middletown, N.Y., a 13 year old who ran 16:58! Behailu has a connection to the mission of the R4, as he lost his grandfather to leukemia. Clearly a rising star in the running circuit, Behailu placed 3rd Overall in both the Classic 10K and the Ruthie Dino-Marshall 5K.
There are 17 new heroes who ‘got swabbed’ and added their names to the International Bone Marrow Bank– joining over 600 others in the last 7 years at the R4. The R4 thanks Chris Cunningham, bone marrow recipient, and his sister, Colleen – who donated bone marrow to Chris – for being at the R4 to help raise awareness to the need for donors.
The R4 Health Fair provided participants with an opportunity to learn about wellness initiatives and providers in the region.
R4 runners and ramblers received a special treat on the course. Just after rounding the turn after the 2nd mile, they could hear the live music being performed by ‘Breach the Barrier’- a local band of young musicians from Narrowsburg, N.Y. They strive to promote acceptance and are dedicated to spreading a message of anti-bullying and originality, through music. The band later participated in the R4 Health Fair where they shared information about the importance of being oneself and treating others with respect.