Sports
Syosset Man Runs to Honor Friend's Mom
Jeffrey Blick will compete in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7.
A bond of friendship and a willingness to help others are extremely powerful things. Syosset's Jeffrey Blick knows this all too well.
In dedication of his best friend Robert's late mother Rona Hafter, Blick will run the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 7. Rona died of pancreatic cancer on May 19, 2009, leaving behind a son, a daughter, her husband and three grandchildren.
“Rob’s mom Rona was a wonderful and sweet woman. She was the best,” says Blick, who will team with Dix Hills' Brian Miller in the run. They will attempt to raise $25,000 for the Lustgarten Foundation, the nonprofit organization that raises money for pancreatic cancer research.
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Blick didn’t think twice about lending a helping hand for his friend. Blick, Miller and Robert Hafter were fraternity brothers at SUNY-Albany.
“Rob and I have been friends for over 20 years and his mother was an extremely special woman,” Blick says.
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The tragic experience of Rona’s death was a revelation for Blick.
“Rona’s passing was an eye-opener for me, 100 percent," says Blick. "I learned that by the time most people catch pancreatic cancer, it is too late. It is a silent disease because the symptoms are hard to notice.”
Blick plans to wear a purple T-shirt imprinted with "Run for Rona" on the day of the race.
This is not the first time the 40-year-old has run in the New York City Marathon.
“I ran it in 1996," says Blick. "I did it in 3 hours and 52 minutes.”
A runner for many years, Blick trains by running five days a week, a minimum of five miles a day. He also devotes one day a week to a lengthier run of 15 miles.
“Twenty-six miles is not easy to run so you have to get your body ready," Blick says. "Just get in your car and drive 26 miles, it is a lot of miles. I am also eating healthier than I usually do.”
A graduate of SUNY Albany, Hofstra Law School and New York University, Blick is a financial adviser at UBS in Manhattan. He and wife Alyssa are the parents of Abby, 8, and Zach, 6.
Besides the money, Blick is determined to bring awareness to pancreatic cancer.
“Running for Rona and helping the Lustgarten Foundation will help so many people and I am happy to contribute,” he says.
If interested in making a donation, visit www.lustgarten.org/runforrona.
