Bethpage Man To Run 103 Miles For SBU Parkinson's Research

STONY BROOK, NY — A Bethpage man will be running for a cause on Labor Day Weekend. Wai Law, 53, will lace up the sneakers for a 103-mile trek from New Paltz to Citi Field Queens. He'll hope to accomplish this feat in 24 hours - starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Law's run will benefit The Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson's Research at Stony Brook University. However, another reason for his marathon is near and dear to his heart.

Monday marks the third anniversary of the death of Ruben Almodovar, the father of Law's longtime friend of 14 years, Dennis Almodovar, 52, of Massapequa. Ruben Almodovar battled Parkinson's for 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, and died at 80 years old. Ruben and the Almodovar family are big Mets fans, so attending games and cheering on the Amazins holds special memories. Finishing the distance run at Citi Field is very well fitting.

Law's event can be followed via his Facebook page, "N2N Memorial Run for Ruben."

Wai and Dennis bonded 14 years ago at a charity event and have since entered and completed many long runs or marathons. Almodovar will run alongside Law for about 25 miles as they both continue efforts to increase awareness of Parkinson's, raise money for research and honor the memory of Ruben.

About two years ago, Almodovar and his cousin organized a Zumba fundraiser to benefit the Thomas Hartman Foundation, which was established to raise funds to support Parkinson's disease research. They raised between $3,000 and $4,000. With the latest fundraiser planned for this weekend, the duo aims to exceed that mark to benefit The Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson's Research at Stony Brook University.

"First and foremost, we would like to thank Wai and Dennis for their support to The Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson's Research at Stony Brook University," Dr. Alfredo Fontanini, chair of the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior at Stony Brook University, told Patch in a statement. "This is the kind of generous community support and commitment that inspires us."

For those wishing to donate to the center's Parkinson's research, here's the form.

The Hartman Center was established in 2013 within the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University through a generous gift from the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson Research that was matched by the Simons Foundation, according to Fontanini. Every year, the Center awards seed grants to support innovative research projects that can further the center's understanding of Parkinson's disease and help the development of new therapeutic approaches.

"This support is fundamental to jump start groundbreaking and innovative research programs and to expand the community of neuroscientists pursuing Parkinson's research," Fontanini said. "The projects are typically multidisciplinary and rely on new technologies to tackle unsolved or under-studied problems in the field, such as understanding the genetic and molecular causes of Parkinson's disease or the neurobiological bases of motor and non-motor symptoms. Going forward we also plan to start a Center's yearly symposium to showcase Parkinson’s disease research at Stony Brook University, encourage collaborative research and bring to campus world experts and members of the community."