4-Leaf Clover 5K Run

The Seatuck Cove Rotary Club reported that their annual 4-Leaf Clover 5K Run drew in more participants on March 18 this year than in the past.

“We had over 150 [people running],” Rotary Club district governor Wendy Walsh-DeMaria said.

The 4-Leaf Clover 5K Run/Walk for Charity raises funds for various local high school scholarships given to students attending Eastport-South Manor, Center Moriches, and Westhampton high schools. Multiple members of the Seatuck Cove Rotary Club said that this year’s marathon had the highest number of attendees yet, with around 158 runners. The club hopes that the increased number of participants is an indicator that the event will expand and prosper further, thus raising even more money for students.

“This is the most runners we’ve ever had in all the years we’ve done this,” race director Ruben Reyes stated at the event.

This year’s 4-Leaf Clover Run was the sixth iteration of the event, hosted by the Seatuck Cove Rotary Club. The marathon is a key early event in their charity scheduling, as the results of the run impact the club’s ability to help students and influence future projects.

“So far, every year we [held the marathon, except the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic], have been able to give out five $1,000 scholarships,” Rotary Club member Roseann Gencarelli said. “Any money above that, after our expenses, [is] put in the bank to start saving for our next project.”

Participants started at East Moriches Middle School on Adelaide Avenue, traveled to the East Moriches Sea Cadet and Coast Guard base, and returned to the middle school. Runners either jogged alone or as part of a team, and their times were tracked by employees from EliteFeats.com. The Theodore Roosevelt Division of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, commanded by Lt. Kenneth Roberts, helped participants follow the marathon’s route and handed out refreshing supplies, like bottles of water, to runners at certain points on the path.

“We’ve done this run a few times,” Roberts said.

Runners in the marathon could also win honorary awards, depending on how quickly they finished the course. Winners were spread across multiple categories, with some people winning medals for being the fastest runner in their age group and gender. The first person to finish the event overall received his own separate award. Sergey Avramenko took first place with a running time of 16 minutes and 23.16 seconds.

“I feel happy,” Avramenko declared, after Reyes placed a medal around his neck at the finish line. “I’m getting back in shape. Good result.”

The Rotary Club works to make sure they can raise awareness of the 4-Leaf Clover Run as much as possible. Before the event, the club reaches out to a plethora of local businesses and the Moriches Chamber of Commerce in order to advertise the event.

“I help as much as I ca—getting sponsors, getting participants, [et cetera],” Rotary Club vice president Joyce Duck explained.

The organization also holds other charity projects and fundraisers in addition to the run. Rotary Club members help distribute baskets during Thanksgiving, donate backpacks to young students, and collect a variety of used objects—from worn-out sneakers to broken eyeglasses—ffor recycling initiatives that use the resources to help suffering individuals internationally.

The Seatuck Rotary Club intends on holding another 4-Leaf Clover Run next year, and they hope to have even more runners then and surpass this year’s numbers.

“I would love to have 200 [runners],” Gencarellli said.

“My hope is that it will grow to, at least one day, [have] at least a thousand runners,” Reyes added.