Blogkeepers' Note
Planning and implementing the broad array of Flyers events and services involves a tremendous amount of volunteer initiative, work, time, effort, selflessness, caring, and love.
Sometimes Flyers may feel disappointed or even tempted to complain when things may not go just right or how we might want. Yet we can feel much gratitude for what goes on behind the scenes, recognize the efforts of Flyers despite not done for the recognition, and all of us can do what we can to volunteer and contribute (yes, contributing our positive energy and attitudes count!) to help keep the Flyers running smoothly and happily. -- Dave Kleckner and Melissa Slobin
EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT
BY JOHN McCREESH & DEBORAH SAAT
Return of Flyers Runs and Events After Covid Shutdown
As we returned to group runs after the COVID-19 shutdown, our goal as the Flyers Executive Board (EB) has been to bring back our pre-pandemic events, while we are continuously thinking about new and exciting future running routes and ideas.
In May 2021, the prior EB organized our first post-pandemic Run To Little Red Lighthouse, complete with fluid station along the route to support the runners. Our goal was to schedule one long training run each month, along with some “fun runs,” and some social activities.
In December 2021, with the help of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee the Flyers promoted an Extend Your Run Fam event in the Bronx with other running clubs. Special thanks to Tim Decker, Bradford Goz (who did much of the legwork to make this event happen) and to Melida Barbosa, (for also helping to plan the run and for kindly handling bag collection and transport for all of the runners!).
We also hosted the Holiday Windows Run (led by Rachel Duncan) with post-run brunch, and the Dyker Lights Run -- organized and led by Kristel McKanna complete with mystery gift. ????
Holiday Windows Run
Dyker Lights Run
Melissa L's Sadie Dog Joined in the Fun!
For the Mystery Gift, Kristel made enough hats (see below) for her to gift them to all of the runners who joined the Dyker Holiday Lights Run. For this labor of love ???? Kristel kindly bought the materials and enlisted her art students (she's a public school art teacher) and used a Cricut machine that enabled her to laser cut out the artistic design onto a vinyl iron on paper.
Mystery Gift -- Homemade with Love by Kristel ????????
To start off 2022, on a frigid January day of about 16 degrees, 16 hearty Flyers showed up for a 3-Bridges/3-Parks Run (designed and led by Jeanhie Hahn). And cold and windy conditions did not deter Flyers on February 5th from a Donut Run via the Queensborough Bridge over to Peter Pan Donuts in Brooklyn (also led by Jeanhie Hahn). The route included 3x over the Queensboro Bridge and 1x over the Pulaski in route to a finish line filled with donuts! ????
In March 2022, we had hoped to have another run to Little Red Lighthouse but we were forced to cancel it due to 30 mph winds, sleet and snow. We rescheduled it for April and the weather was perfect for the 14-mile training run, complete with fluid/aid station thanks to the volunteer support provided by Ed Altman and Kin Ng. In May, we held a 3-Bridges Run (Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg) and on June 19th, Brad Goz led a Juneteenth Run.
At the Juneteenth Run, Flyers celebrated freedom and explored the African American history of New York from Columbus Circle to the Battery. No one got lost and two groups managed to arrive where needed at the same time. ????
Brad noted after the run that:
"I believe the run gave everyone a deeper feel for the triumphs and tribulations of Blacks, free and enslaved over the past 400 years and gave us greater insights into the history of our city and the USA."
For the fall of 2021, Jo Rees came up with the great idea of leading a Dog Run. So far, we’ve had a fall and spring 2022 edition of this event with great success!
Dog Run ???? ????
And we can’t say enough about the popularity of the Holiday Gang Runs (organized by Guy Simoneau) which started on Thanksgiving 2020 and continued through almost every holiday. Of course, Breakfast Club post-run socializing is always an important highlight! We had a record number of Flyers (32 unofficial count) just this Memorial Day and July 4th.
The Breakfast Club ☕️????
We didn’t get a chance to schedule a long-training run in June with all the scheduled races, but we have a new route: 3 Bridges X3 Parks X3 Tracks that was spearheaded by Jeanhie Hahn on July 10th
This 13 mile route was a supported run that included running over 3 different bridges: Queensboro, Pulaski & Williamsburg and running a loop at 3 different tracks located in 3 different parks: Astoria Track, McCarren Track and ending at the East River Track where cold water and gatorade were provided. A post-run brunch followed at the Remedy Diner on the Lower East Side.
3 Bridges, 3 Parks, 3 Tracks + Brunch = ????
Flyers Don't Just Run ????
But of course, the Flyers isn’t just about running. We have plenty of non-running events for our members. DEBS Book club -- organized by Deb Saat and Debi Unger -- has been a huge success.
A recent Zoom discussion was with author, Robyn Schneider, of Silent Running about her sons running with autism, was really interesting. While we prefer in-person, the zoom events with the authors have been quite a hit.
On July 12th, the book club met in person for a discussion of The Long Run written by a New York firefighter, Matt Long. No doubt that Deb and DebI will have more great books lined up for the fall.
In April we had a small social at All-Stars Bar & Grill and we are planning a bigger event with your favorite MC’s, Guy Simoneau and Rachel Duncan, raffle prizes, awards, good food and drink -- the Flyers Midsummer Night's Soiree on August 13. Click HERE for the details and to register for the Soiree. And for the first time since 2020 we are planning to have the Flyers Awards Gala in late January or early February of 2023. Stay tuned for details!
Soiree -- Register Now! ????????
More to Come!
The NYRR Club Team Champs Race will be back on July 31st, where we'll continue the annual tradition of taking a Flyers Team Photo at the Flyers Team Picnic following the race. We hope to see a lot of you out there racing, cheering, and having refreshments with your teammates. It's not too late to sign up HERE. And it doesn't matter how "fast" or "slow" you run -- the more Flyers who participate, the better for club team standings, and more important, for club team camaraderie ????
At Club Team Champs 2018 -- Sign Up Now for 2022!
Starting in August we will organize the first of two tried and true Flyers runs -- our Three Bridges Training Runs -- the first on August 26 and the second on October 16 -- pace leaders and other volunteers will be needed, so stay tuned for details! Also scheduled is a Sept 10th long-run, location TBD (possibly including Randall's Island) and the Last 10 Miles Run (of the NYC Marathon course) in October.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! ????
In closing, we would like to recognize the terrific turnout at all of these events. We’ve had amazing cheer squads at the races (led by the Flyers Member-At-Large: Wendy Mitchell). Much appreciation for our awesome race photos provided by in-house photographers Richard Brounstein, Kin Ng and others.
It really takes a lot of people to put these events on and we know that we weren’t able to list everyone here, but all your efforts are definitely appreciated.
There will be many opportunities to volunteer over the next few months so be on the lookout for the “NY Flyers Volunteer Opportunities” email coming to your inbox very soon!
- Flyers President John McCreesh and Vice President Deborah Saat