Peconic Landing is renaming its annual charitable footrace to honor its longtime trustee and board chairman, John May, who passed away last August at age 87.
The John May Mile and 5K race will take place on Saturday, May 7. Proceeds benefit the Greenport Fire Department.
The race, in its 11th year, is an intergenerational celebration of Older Americans Month and is open to runners and walkers of all ages and fitness abilities, offering both a relaxed mile-long walk and a more challenging 3.1 mile run. More than 400 people are expected to participate in the run/walk.
File photo: Lisa Finn
The race, previously called the May Mile and 5K, is being renamed for Peconic Landing’s longtime chairman of the board, a Southold businessman who “played a vital role in bringing the retirement community to Greenport, with a goal of creating a community hub that benefits all residents of the North Fork,” the lifecare company said in a press release.
Peconic Landing will also honor May posthumously with the “2016 Older American Champion Award,” an award given annually in conjunction with the race event to honor a local person for service and dedications to older Americans. Peconic Landing president and CEO Robert Syron will present the award to members of the May family.
“John May was an irreplaceable force behind much of the success of Peconic Landing,” Syron said in the press release. “Our organization would not be what it is today without John May. Peconic Landing looks forward to honoring his contributions with this annual tradition.”
May was a management consultant who specialized in mergers and acquisitions and remained active in his profession — and on the tennis court, where he was a nationally ranked senior player — through the last years of his life.
Peconic Landing will also be unveiling a portrait of the late chairman during a private ceremony on Friday night, May 6.
Since its kickoff in 2005, the annual benefit race has raised more than $180,000 for the Greenport Fire Department. Last year’s event contributed a total of $25,700, helping to purchase, refurbish and maintain rescue equipment vital to keeping fire department volunteers safe during response efforts.
Registration and stretching begin at 8 a.m. at Brecknock Hall with the race and walk to start at 10 a.m. (Online registration here.) Pre-registration is recommended; however, participants can register the day of the event.
A barbecue lunch and the awards ceremony will follow at 11:15 a.m. on the back lawn of Brecknock Hall, where goods from area businesses – including gift certificates and donated goods – will be raffled off with proceeds also benefitting the department.
