Kerry Rose Foundation to Host 3rd Annual 5K Trail Run Fundraiser

A Long Island based non-profit recently announced they will be hosting their 3rd annual 5K Trail Run and fundraiser in Commack next weekend.

The Kerry Rose Foundation, which works to improving fire safety conditions in college housing, will be hosting the event on Saturday, November 26 starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve on 200 New Highway.

The event will feature t-shirts, prizes and psychic readings by Nancy D’Erasmo. Pre-registration for the race is $20 and tickets for teams of more than 10 people are $15 person. Registration on the day of race is $25.

The foundation was started on behalf of Kerry Rose Fitzsimons, a Commack native and Marist College student who died in an off-campus fire along with two other students in January 2012.

Her family then created the foundation to raise awareness about fire prevention and safety, specifically the importance of fire detection and sprinklers systems.

Sponsorships are available by calling the foundation at 631-379-4088 or 631-356-7724, or emailing info@kerryrosefoundation.org.

To register for the race online, visit JustFinish.net.

“There are more than 20 million college students in the U.S. and 1.3 million in New York, many who go away to college and live on their own for the first time," Robert Fitzsimons, Kerry Rose’s father said. "Oftentimes, students and families don’t even consider whether a college or university’s housing has a fire suppression system."

The Kerry Rose Foundation’s efforts led to the passing of the New York State Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act in 2013.

The law encouraged almost 1.3 million annual students attending colleges and universities in New York State to make better-informed housing decisions by the disclosure of whether a student housing facility is equipped with fire sprinkler systems.

There is also similar federal legislation in Congress.