NYC Marathon: Runners protest, volunteer for Hurricane Sandy cleanup

UPI ^ | 11/2/12 | GABRIELLE LEVY

[EBH]

At least two groups of people scheduled to run the New York City Marathon Sunday are organizing protests against the city's decision to allow the marathon to go forward, despite Hurricane Sandy's devastation.

Furious over resources going to the marathon instead of to relief efforts, Penny Krakoff, a social worker, plans to take food and supplies to the Staten Island starting line before breaking off to deliver them to Sandy victims.

"I cannot start a 26.2 mile run in Staten Island—people are missing, stranded, in need of resources. Brooklyn and Queens have equal devastation," she told Gothamist. "Parts of Manhattan are without electricity, water, major hospitals are closed. The Bronx too has its own challenges. Today I will volunteer at a city evacuation shelter. Sunday morning I will catch the marathon bus to Staten Island. Not planning to run. Plan to volunteer instead and gather resources (extra clothes, bottles of water, food from runners at the start). Let's not waste resources and attention on a foot race. Who is with me?"

A Facebook group called "Marathon of Relief" with nearly 500 likes also proposes runners show up for the start of the race, and then depart to deliver aid along the route.

"Runners will show up at the starting line, but will break off en masse at different points of the city to deliver supplies to places hardest hit and without power," it says. "This will mean departing from the race, to head to various buildings, running up and down stairs delivering water and canned goods, etc."

And another, with more than 2,700 likes, called "Boycott the 2012 NYC Marathon," has a similar message:

"Due to the catastrophic events, we have decided to wear our Bib numbers on race day, BUT WILL NOT BE RUNNING.

[SierraWasp]

What a great slap in that idiot liberal mayor’s pathetic face!!!

[Spktyr]

Bookmark for later.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Anyone want to take bets whether they are Republicans?

[EBH]

Monsignor Farrell will be a starting point for us, or any church on the island but you may want to start there. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) is looking to assemble a team of volunteers for eventual clean-up. E-mail her office at: nysassembly60@gmail.com with your contact information if you would like to volunteer in the days to come.

[Charles Henrickson]

volunteer for Hurricane Sandy cleanup

That's what I was thinking too. If you've got all these people ready to run a marathon, they are people with a lot of physical energy. Why not put that energy to good use and organize a massive volunteer clean-up effort? I think thousands of the runners--and a lot of other folks too--would gladly volunteer. And besides doing a lot of good, it would be a public relations coup for the mayor!

[EEGator]

Marathon racing is a lot of hard work...of course they’re Republican.

[FewsOrange]

A Facebook group called "Marathon of Relief" with nearly 500 likes also proposes runners show up for the start of the race, and then depart to deliver aid along the route.

They obviously haven't looked at the route on a map. The areas the marathon goes through are not the areas where people have no power or are out of their houses.

[MichaelCorleone]

***Penny Krakoff, a social worker, plans to take food and supplies to the Staten Island starting line before breaking off to deliver them to Sandy victims.***

Well, Penny, let me tell you in no uncertain terms that food BETTER NOT have salt, and those soda cups BETTER NOT be larger than 12 ounces. But drugs, condoms, and %-off coupons to planned parenthood are a-okay.

Regards,
Mayor Putz

[verum ago]

God bless 'em!

This is exactly what I've been hoping for- I want to runners to show up in appropriate (non-marathon) clothes and help people out. Screw the race. And I hope those runners that decide to volunteer wear their race bibs. Let people know that they've eschewed jogging in favor of humanity and common sense.

I can truly, honestly say that if I was signed up for an event like that, even if I'd trained for a year, I'd say 'Hell with it' and go help people. I know I'm far from the only one.

It's pretty outrageous that in the midst of an ongoing humanitarian disaster where people's lives are still at risk, Bloomberg wants water, high calorie foods and beverages, electrolytes, space blankets, clothes, generators, medical supplies, tons of volunteers, and first responders to literally pass by people who need all those in favor of a damned foot race. I mean, for Gawd's sake, they'll be running past crews doing the initial door-to-door search for bodies. It's sickening.

FUMB*

*F--- you, Michael Bloomberg

[American Constitutionalist]

Gloomberg should be held responsible for those people on Staten Island for not sending those 2 huge generators there.
Gloomberg should be forced to resign.
If there are any deaths from not sending those 2 huge electric generators for the main stream media for the Marathon to Staten Island and people freezing or who died from exposure then Gloomberg should be held responsible.

[McGruff]

Say what? I believe there's a city ordinance against helping people in need.

[RKBA Democrat]

This is good. Even the marathon runners are ticked. Do you *really* want to “win” a race that was run using resources that you know should have been deployed elsewhere?

[American Constitutionalist]

" That's what I was thinking too. If you've got all these people ready to run a marathon, they are people with a lot of physical energy. Why not put that energy to good use and organize a massive volunteer clean-up effort? I think thousands of the runners--and a lot of other folks too--would gladly volunteer. "

They can't, it's not a Unionized worker force ...

[nothingnew]

Nice, but don't go to NJ unless you're a union member.

FMCDH(BITS)

[pollywog]

OHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this is grassroots!!! GO MARATHON HELPERS!!!

[American Constitutionalist]

" It's pretty outrageous that in the midst of an ongoing humanitarian disaster where people's lives are still at risk, Bloomberg wants water, high calorie foods and beverages, electrolytes, space blankets, clothes, generators, medical supplies, tons of volunteers, and first responders to literally pass by people who need all those in favor of a damned foot race. I mean, for Gawd's sake, they'll be running past crews doing the initial door-to-door search for bodies. It's sickening. "


Liberalism's ugly face is being exposed with the mask being lifted off.

Liberalism.... the true cult of death.

[Doogle]

Bloomberg is closing down some of the few gas stations on Staten Island so the long lines of cars won’t inhibit the runners
Imagine trying to get fuel for your generator, waiting on line for 4 hours, and being told to come back in another 4 hours to take up position in line again.........don’t mind the bodies being pulled out of the rumble over there Sven, your on good time, watch out there’s some wet sand and mud around the next bend, mind your new Reeboks

[bunkerhill7]

Emperor Bloomnero wants to Fiddle-Faddle while the Big Apple Burns.

[American Constitutionalist]

The problem with these Union Thugs turning away those utilities workers coming from other states is ?

If there is another storm, snow storm or disaster those workers in other states will say the next time " SCREW THEM ! we tried to help out the last time " ... and those liberals and Unions dominated states will be left in the dark the next time.