Rainy run to the Port Jeff Brewery raises money for parks

1 of 13

The remnants of Hurricane Matthew made for a sloppy morning, but that didn’t stop more than a thousand runners who laced up their shoes and hit the streets of Port Jefferson for a good cause.

The 15K Run to the Port Jeff Brewing Company took place Oct. 9 to raise money for the Port Jefferson “Treasure Your Parks” campaign, an initiative created to help refurbish the more than 50-year-old Clifton H. Lee Memorial Park, which is commonly known as Rocketship Park.

The roughly nine-mile race began on West Broadway near Schafer’s restaurant, and concluded on Mill Creek Road near the Port Jeff Brewing Company, where participants celebrated the run with a cold beer. Runner Chris Steenkamer crossed the finish line first, and Chris Koegel came in second.

An event to kick off the refurbishing process, called the Rocketship Park Launch Off, will be held Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. at the park located behind Port Jefferson Village Hall about a half a block away from Port Jeff Brewing Company. For more information visit www.rebuildrocketship.org.