10th Annual Sgt. Pat run set for April 7
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH - More than 1,000 people are expected to gather on the Long Branch shore next week to participate in the 10th annual run and walk to honor slain Long Branch Police Officer Sgt. Patrick King.

The Sgt. Pat's 5K Run and 2-mile Fitness Walk is scheduled to be held April 7 on the promenade and boardwalk in the city.

The 5K run will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the two-mile walk at 11:05 a.m. Children's age-group races will start at 11:30 a.m.

"[The race] just keeps growing every year," said Maureen King about the event held each year in memory of her deceased husband.

"It is a lot fun and it has really turned into a community event," King added.

Last year's event attracted over 1,000 participants and raised more than $20,000 to benefit several organizations and education scholarships.

This year's event, King said, is expected to draw more participants than last year, and she added that they expect to raise even more money than in past years to benefit several charitable organizations.

All proceeds from the race benefit the Long Branch PBA Local 10; Holiday Express, which assists families in need during the holiday season; and the Patrick King Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship is awarded to Long Branch High School graduates, according to King, who said, "Every year we try to do more for the kids."

Sgt. Pat died after being shot in the line of duty in the West End section of Long Branch on Nov. 20, 1997, according to King.

The Jersey Shore Running Club (JSRC) has been hosting the annual 5K run in Long Branch for almost two decades and for the past decade, the event has been dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Pat.

"This is the 10th anniversary and our hope is that we will have a large turnout to join us in remembering a fallen officer," Philip J. Hinck, race director, said in a press release.

The 5K race course is completely flat, with the two-mile fitness walk following on the same course. The event also includes kids' races of various distances.

Amenities at the event include T-shirts to participants, limited-edition anniversary pins, post-race refreshments, an awards ceremony, raffles and a grand prize drawing.

A free post-race pasta party will also be held at the end of the event at the Celtic Cottage in West End.

Awards will be distributed for the 5K run as well as to the first five PBA member finishers, both male and female, and awards to the PBA Local and the Law Enforcement Agency with the most participants, and the PBA that traveled the farthest.

"This event has also become a law enforcement event," King said. "We have law enforcement [officers] coming from all over and all different forms of law enforcement.

"They never forget their own," she added.

Local schools will also receive prizes at the event based on the number of run and walk participants representing the school.

Preregistration for the run and walk will take place the day of the race beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Windmill on Ocean Boulevard.

For more information, visit www.jsrc.org or call (732) 571-2162.