When the starting gun signals the beginning of the NYC Marathon Sunday, a team of eight running to raise money for Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead will be among the more than 50,000 competitors in the marathon that traverses all five boroughs of the Big Apple on the first Sunday in November each year.
Team Wellness members include: Mary Mitchell, wife of PBMC president and CEO Andrew Mitchell; Anna Law, director of nursing at PBMC’s skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility; Paul Furbeck, director of rehabilitation; Jennifer Robins, director of food and nutrition services; Eric Manoff, orthopedic surgeon; Jennifer Miglino, MRI tech; and community members Ryan Springer, a police officer; and Dennis McDermott, former owner of the Riverhead Project restaurant.
This is Mitchell’s fourth marathon- though her first time running the NYC marathon.
“The other runners in the marathon also keep you inspired to keep moving – sometimes when you think you have nothing left someone will say ‘you’re doing great- keep going’ and you feel yourself speed up,” she said.
“The support you get from the crowd is also so important – the cheering, the encouragement is amazing – it makes all the difference.”
This will be Robins’ first marathon.
“Running a marathon fills me with just enough terror to motivate me to be healthy,” PBMC’s director of food and nutrition services said. “Every day, when I am confronted by the delicious cafeteria cakes and cookies, I will think of dragging those extra pounds 26.2 miles and I will eat the fruit.”
Robins’ is looking forward to completing the race, which she feels confident she’ll accomplish. She said she can’t wait to see the look on her brothers’ faces when she actually finishes — and wearing the medal to work on Monday.
“That kind of glory can’t be beat,” Robins said.
Mitchell agrees.
“The feeling you get emotionally after accomplishing running 26.2 hits you to the core. I cried each time – I was so happy.”
Team Wellness has a fundraising page at crowdrise.com where, to date, they’ve collectively raised nearly $26,000.
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