Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K Fun Run/Walk

April 26, 2009

Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K Fun Run/Walk for Special Olympics

Athletes from far and wide converged on New York and New Jersey’s Lincoln Tunnel Sunday morning for the 23rd annual Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K Fun Run/Walk for Special Olympics New Jersey and the Memorial Miles team of Tom Grassi, Kamran Khan, Abdul Karimi, Vivian Okwuagwu and Paul Pietropaolo were there. The Lincoln Tunnel, the tunnel under the Hudson River that connects New Jersey and Manhattan is usually bumper to bumper with cars and impatient commuters, but it’s closed for this race. Thoroughly cleaned the night before, the tunnel is continuously ventilated; with the inside air changed every 90 seconds. The race starts at the south tube of the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken and continues to New York City and back. No traffic was allowed in the tunnel until post-race.

The race is presented by AmeriHealth of New Jersey, The Port Authority of NY & NJ, the Lincoln Tunnel Administration, and Coach USA, and benefits Special Olympics, New Jersey. The Port Authority of NY & NJ is a member of New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey, a volunteer organization.

WCBS 880's Tom Kaminski was Master of Ceremonies for the event, Mr. G – WPIX 11 Weatherman was a host and Weehawken, NJ Mayor Richard Turner was on hand to announce the Celebration of Weehawken’s 150th anniversary.

Not everybody can say they've run through the Lincoln Tunnel. This is a once in a year opportunity and the type of a race you do to say you’ve done it. It is really a neat event! A record number of close to 3,000 people participated in today’s event. Because this race has grown in popularity, the competitors with 5K times of under 25 minutes started at 8:45 a.m., and all other competitors began at 9:15 a.m.; this was a great way to manage the crowd.

The temperature was also record-breaking, which made the race a bit more challenging. But all in all it was a great event and a fun day.

1) Tom signing up. 2) Special Olympics Tent 3) Josh Teicher and David Shah get ready to film the event.

Heading toward the start of the race


1) Paul at start of race 2) Great event for the family 3) Kevin finishing the race

Start of the Race - WCBS 880's Tom Kaminski was Master of Ceremonies for the event, Mr. G – WPIX 11 Weatherman was a host. Kamran, Abdul & Tom get ready to go!

Paul and Tom at the finish line! We made it!

1) Abdul and Tom 2) Abdul 3) Vivian, Kevin, Tom, Abdul & Paul

Views from the end of the race.

Paul, Tom and Vivian at the finish line.

View from Weehawken, NJ across the Hudson River. Empire State Building in the background.

5K Run on the Runway At JFK Airport

JFK Rotary Club "5K Runway Run" - Sunday, April 19, 2009

"5k Run on the Runway" at JFK Airport, New York

Sponsored by the JFK Rotary Club

This is a really neat race; the 5K (3.2 miles) course is on a portion of the runway of JFK Airport. You really get a feel for how big and busy this airport is. Before the start of the race you register at Building 14, and then get on airport buses that take you to the runway that the race will be held on. Because they were taking us air side they have to run the bus through a security check before it could drop us off at the start of the race. This years race started on the east side of the airport near the fire training area, and as you will see from the pictures they have mock-up fuselages that they use to train the Port Authority Police and emergency responders on how to handle a plane crash or fire, it was very impressive. As we were running jets were landing right overhead, it was really pretty cool. As you might imagine the course was very flat, but the wind was very strong, so it was not as easy a run as one might have thought. All in all it was one of the most unusual and interesting races I have participated in and would recommend it to anyone to try!

The "Run on the Runway" race has become one of the major fund raisers for the JFK Rotary Club. Funds raised from the race are used to support scholarships, sponsor terminally ill children from countries with limited medical and technological services, for life-saving heart operations at local hospitals through Rotary's Gift of Life Program, sponsors annual Christmas parties for handicapped children from the local schools (including Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf) which is held in the Delta passenger terminal at JFK Airport. Last year's party was attended by over 300 children. Sponsors included Delta Airlines, Host Restaurants, North Fork Bank and others. The Club sponsors a barbecue for Learning Disabled children of PS 213 each spring of the year, initiated a new program in 1995 to provide Thanksgiving Dinners for needy families from the communities surrounding the Airport, helps with shipping of relief supplies to Rotary Clubs in distressed areas throughout the world and supported Katrina with used clothing and is presently working on support to earthquake victims in Pakistan with clothing and medical supplies.

The first race was run in April 1972. Until 2000 it was a 10K race which started at the Ramada Plaza JFK Hotel parking lot and to the runway and back to the hotel. Due to problems with traffic control on the public roads, the Port Authority requested we take part of the race off public roads and contain it to the Runways. In 2002 it was decided to change it to a 5K race. It is a very unique race as the main runway is actually closed to aircraft landing and taking off. Aircraft's are routed to land and take off from a secondary runway during the race. During its history the race has never been canceled. As a result of 9/11, security has become a major issue in planning the race. The Rotary Club works very close with the Airport authorities ensure the security programs in place are strictly adhered to. Runners actually run on the longest Runway at JFK which is almost 14,000 feet, although only a short portion of the main runway is used for the 5K race

Day 219

Total Miles Run To Date: 229.4 Miles
Total Miles Walked To date: 281.0 Miles
Total Miles Walk/Run To Date: 510.4 Miles

In Memory of My Dad Nick Pietropaolo

Nicolo (Nick) Pietropaolo: February 21, 1927 - April 10, 2009

Nicolo (Nick) Pietropaolo of Goshen, formerly of Nanuet, passed away on Friday, April 10, 2009 at Arden Hill Hospital. He was 82. He was born on February 21, 1927 to the late Vincent and Antoinette (Locoparra) Pietropaolo in Yonkers, NY.

Nick was a World War II veteran in the U.S. Marine Corps., 4th Division. He attended Northrop Aeronautical School in California. He worked at Otis Elevator Company as a Facility Engineer for 32 years and was a member of the Otis Fire Brigade. He retired from J.P. Morgan in New York City in 1992.

Nick's love of the outdoors included golfing with his buddies and admiring and caring for all the trees. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was so proud of his whole family and loved them with all his heart.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Madeline Pietropaolo, and five children: James (Mary Beth) Pietropaolo of Lewistown, PA, Thomas (Suzanne) Pietropaolo of DeWitt, NY, Paul (Susan) Pietropaolo of New City, NY, Robert (Laura) Pietropaolo of Goshen, NY, and Janet Pietropaolo (Richard) Teetsel of Hummelstown, PA. He is also survived by sisters, Jenny Marino of Rock Hill, CT and Anna Pietropaolo of Newington, CT; a brother, Vincent (Casey) Pietropaolo of Newington, CT; and many nieces and nephews. In addition, he is survived by ten grandchildren: Nicholas and Alexandra, Jill and Amanda, Adam and Daniel, Justin and Joseph, Vincent and Matthew.

He was predeceased by his two sisters, Caroline Murray and Antoinette Gambardella, and three brothers, Julio, Albert and Alfred Pietropaolo.

A funeral mass was held on Monday, April 13, at St. Anthony's Church, Nanuet, NY, with a burial at St. Anthony's Cemetery.

Eulogy by Robert Pietropaolo:

The A-List

Over the past several years there have been a few times where I thought we would be here sooner than today. So over the course of the last few years I’ve had various versions of what I thought I would say once I got up here. And as you can imagine each one had me balling my eyes out while I was either mowing the lawn or driving home from work, where I would compose these eulogies. About two and a half months ago it became very clear as to how I was going to talk about Pop. Here goes. I hope you enjoy it.

The top draw of my dresser is my junk draw. I keep little trinkets there, a rock from Sedona, a Swiss army knife, a picture from the Grand Canyon, a Little Abner pin, a referee whistle, small mementoes to remind me of a passed event. I keep them there because that’s where my dad kept his. When I was a little kid I would find myself in his room and snoop through his junk draw. I don’t remember the first time I did that. It must have been an accident. Maybe I was looking for something and found this treasure chest of stuff that gave me a glimpse into my fathers’ life. I could hold a secret with him, without him even knowing. It had the same kind of stuff in it as mine. A pen knife, Otis Elevator pins, a yoyo, subway tokens, photos from the war, and a dirty joke book. The joke book, of course, was my favorite.

I would periodically return to the draw and look inside, and once in a while a new article would appear, and I would wonder what it would mean to him. Sometimes it was obvious, a pin from a recent event he attended or some trinket commemorating his involvement in the Black and Gold Club, or Little League, something like that. Occasionally there would be a Xerox copy of the latest dirty joke being passed around the office. It did not take long though to realize that there would not be new trinkets added all that often, and eventually I just stopped snooping.

In January, up at the lake house, where my parents moved to after they retired, the temperature dropped to well below zero, there was a power failure, the pipes froze, then burst, and as you can imagine, it was a mess. I was up there moving what could be salvaged to higher ground, and needed to move my dads’ dresser. To lighten the load I pulled the draws out, and once again was faced to face with the stuff in his junk draw. It was really quite a wonderful experience, for the next two hours or so I sat there picking through his stuff, wondering what each little thing might have meant to him. A flood of memories came racing back and I felt that secret special connection from my snooping 35 to 40 years ago.

Then another realization was of what I was looking at. The A list, the A list of stuff that after 82 years, still warranted space in this drawer. Marine Core pins, Otis retirement pins, zippo cigarette lighter, the joke book, 9/11 World Trade Center pin my brother Paul gave to him. I know that one was very special to him. Of course there were pictures of us, his kids at various ages, and of my Mom. There where photos of him with his friends affectionately known as the Goofers, photos of his Mom and Pop, his brothers and sisters. Photos of him in the war when he was stationed in China. Some horrific photos of that war. Photos of him before he met my Mom. Some of these photos were out on display at the Wake yesterday. The last and most telling articles left were the love letters he saved from my Mom when he was away from us for weeks at a time while in Indiana setting up shop for Otis Elevators. Trying times for a young couple with five young children.

The only other thing I know he would have liked to keep in his draw would have been his ten grand kids. He loved visiting with, seeing, and hearing about what they where up to. From their first steps, to graduation, from engagements, to any activity or opportunity they where taking advantage of. He had a special place in his heart for all of them. He was proud, and enjoyed the company of, his son-in-law. He was proud too, of the wives, who he would say he hand picked for his four sons.

Now I need to wrap this up. One thing that Pop was not was patient. So I thank you all for coming and know if he were here he would tell each and every one of you “ya look good” except you Laura, you look tired. Now go Pop, Grandma has homemade ravioli for you. Grandpa has some lawns for you to mow. Your brothers and your sisters are waiting. And George Crowfoot has a Tee time for you.

United Nations Visit

Bob McKee, Paul Pietropaolo, Jack McManus, Jerry Del Tuffo
United Nation Site Visit - April 1, 2009