LI's Biggest Office Picnic

By: Carol Silva

What a party! There I was Tuesday night, standing in the midst of about 7,200 of the heartiest Long Islanders I've ever been among.  We were at Jones Beach for the Long Island Corporate Challenge.

I had the honor of standing at the stage at the starting line and blowing the airhorn that began the race. Passing me at the beach was an ocean of runners. They had iPods, water bottles and even strollers.  I was wearing a lovely Express jersey knit top and bejeweled, strappy black sandals. They were wearing sensible running shoes and cotton t-shirts with the names of their company teams - Cablevision, ADP, PC Richards (they had the biggest team with almost 500 runners) and the sponsors, sponsored by Marcum Kleigman Accountants of Melville. They all looked better than I did.

They ran or walked 3.5 miles along the back bay road (that's the road you can take if you're going directly into the Jones Beach Theatre parking lot.) By the end of the night, those corporate team t-shirts were soaked with sweat and the scent of accomplishment. They still looked better!

Run, walk. A block, A mile. An Iron Man (like our Rich Hoffman just finished) - I really have to admire anyone who gets out there and does something!

That includes Eileen and Dennis Colton - the parents of our News 12 LI sports anchor Erin Colton. Erin, it seems you're not the only jock in the family!

And it's not that I didn't get sweaty too. I did -every time someone crossed the finish line. You see, I also had the honor of holding the winners tape!

And that was just the start  of a great evening. When the run was over, the fun just started. LI's Biggest Office Picnic. The companies stayed at Zach's Bay for hours, BBQing, listening to live music and comparing who hit the wall when, and celebrating that it was over! Best of all, you couldn't tell someone who works the overnight shift from a CEO! Once you take the neck ties off and put your running shoes on, it seems the playing field really levels out. It doesn't get any better than that.

Comments

[Keith Dunne]

cut some of the garage out of the budget and meet the needs of the people '