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Police Chief Running 106 Miles for Sandy Victims

"The nightmare is not over for many affected by Sandy," says Ridgewood resident Frank Del Vecchio. The Fairview police chief will be running from Moonachie to the Jersey Shore to raise funds and awareness.

Seven months after Super Storm Sandy's winds ripped homes from their foundations, dunked rollercoasters into the Atlantic, and left scores facing a harrowing road to rebuilding, there's a fear the victims will be forgotten.

It hasn't escaped Frank Del Vecchio's memory.

The Ridgewood resident and Fairview police chief is strapping on his running shoes for perhaps his most ambitious excursion yet – he'll be running 106 miles non-stop from flood-scarred Moonachie to Staten Island and then down the Jersey Shore to aid victims.

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"Right after Sandy hit, I had a conversation with the mayor of Little Ferry (Mauro Raguseo) and he told me how devastated the town was and how a lot of people were helping," Del Vecchio said. "But then he said something I'll never forget – 'I'm afraid that in six months, people are going to forget.' When he said that, it sparked something in me."

The police chief is up for the task – only a few months ago he ran a 26-mile marathon from Ridgewood to Ground Zero, raising thousands of dollars for Tomorrow's Children Foundation, benefitting 9/11 families.

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"I want people to recognize that people affected by Hurricane Sandy are still living a nightmare – there are still people not in their homes, there are still people struggling to get back on their feet," Del vecchio said. "I'm not just doing it to raise funds, I'm doing it hopefully to inspire others, to also raise the fact that the nightmare is not over for so many."

He leaves Moonachie at 9 a.m. on May 23, arriving 30 hours later in Seaside Heights. The run will take him through towns like Hoboken and Weehawken, through the Goethels Bridge to Staten Island locales before reaching the Jersey Shore coast.

The funds raised will allow storm victims to purchase the smaller-but-critical items and services like washers and dryers, and getting the gas turned on.

Donations of all sizes are welcome – from $5 to thousands. Check out Del Vecchio's "Run for Hope Foundation" website for details on how you can donate. All proceeds directly benefit victims through the Sandy Relief Fund.

 

 

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