Kids & Family
5K Raises $30,000 in Memory of Commack Woman Who Died in College Fire
Kerry Rose Foundation 5K aimed to create more awareness of fire safety in college-owned housing.
Nearly 600 runners put rubber to the ground in the Kerry Rose Foundation 5-K Run on Saturday at Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve, which raised $30,000 to help promote fire safety within college housing.
The Kerry Rose Foundation, was created to honor a Commack graduate who tragically killed in 2012 in an off-campus house fire at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. The first-ever race aimed to raise awareness of safety and sprinkler systems in university-owned apartments, dorms and houses.
Special guests at the race included Congressman Steve Isreal, who spoke about the fire sprinkler incentive act he has sponsored in Congress. Assemblyman Michael Dendekker from Jackson Heights, Queens also spoke about the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act, which passed into law this summer and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone started off the race.
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Bagpipers lead the runners to the start line and Broadway star Rachel deBenedet sang the National Anthem.
Maryanne Firzsimons said that the money raised will be used for advertising and creating more awareness of fire safety.Find out what's happening in Commackwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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