The East Hampton Village Foundation, which, according to its chairman and chief executive officer, Bradford Billet, has donated $2 million thus far toward Herrick Park’s renovation, benefited from a 5K run and walk at Main Beach Saturday morning that drew 148 entrants, the village’s upbeat mayor, Jerry Larsen, who walked with his wife, Lisa, and Billet, being one of them.
The race, Billet said, was one of several events the foundation oversees during the course of the year. The biggest is a Main Beach concert series, attended by 45,000 people this summer.
“We’ve put in new tennis courts at the park, we’ve redone the soft- ball and hardball fields, put in a multipurpose field, and made the park accessible to people with disabilities,” said Billet, who added that proceeds from Saturday’s event would help pay for more lighting and a thorough renovation of the children’s area.
Upon taking office four years ago, the mayor said he had the idea to start a police foundation but concluded that a foundation supporting the village as a whole was to be preferred.
As for the 5K, Roberto de Guardiola, 29, of Southampton, won it, in a time of 19 minutes and 58.13 seconds. Nicole Furlong, 34, one of his East End Running Club teammates based at the Southampton Publick House, was the women’s winner — and 11th over all — in 23:56.41.
Fernando Soto, 34, also a teammate of de Guardiola’s, was the runner-up, in 20:34.60.
The top five were rounded out by Raul Damas, 49, in 20:51.30, Angus Whelchel, 51, in 21:20.17, and Stiven Orrego, 35, in 22:37.84. Orrego plays for Tortorella Pools, an East Hampton 7-on-7 men's soccer league playoff finalist.
Lucy Emptage, 24, was the women's runner-up -- and 13th over all — in 24:29.20. Jesssica Anzalone, 25, was the third female — and 23rd over all — in 26:06.12, Katie Helfand, 44, was the fourth, in 26:11.58, and Ashleigh Spicer, 21, was the fifth, in 26:56.08.
