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Parkland Dash Brings Community Together for a Fun Run

Over 690 competed in either the 5K, the 5 Miler or the 1 Mile at Sunday’s Parkland Dash. {David Volz}

Runners laced up their shoes and hit the pavement for a good cause at the Parkland Dash, where community members gathered at Pine Trails Park to compete and raise money for a good cause.

According to Nathaly Espinosa, special events coordinator for the Parkland Parks and Recreation Department, 364 individuals participated in the 5K (3.1 miles), 244 in the one-mile run, and 85 in the five-mile run held on Sunday.

“This was a good community event that brought people together to participate in an athletic event. Individuals could run or walk the various distances,” said Espinosa.

Julie Esposito enjoyed participating in the event held on October 13 and earned first place in the women’s division for the five-mile run.

“This is such a great event, raising money for good organizations. This was my first race of the upcoming running season, and it was a good run,” said Esposito. She is a competitive runner who has completed marathons.

Ananda Rampat took first place in the men’s division for the 54 to 59 age group. “This was a good race. The course was flat, and the weather was perfect,” he said.

Parkland Dash participants who won in their age division. {David Volz}

The Parkland Dash began and ended at Pine Trails Park and raised money for Make Our Schools Safe, the five public schools in Parkland.

The top three 5K females were:

Haysa Ebrahim – Pompano Beach
Madison West – Fort Lauderdale
Noa Nierman – Pompano Beach

The top three 5K males were:

Greg Tyshynski – Pompano Beach
Cristian Medina – Boca Raton
Charles Vaughan – Atlanta

The top three 5 Mile Females were

Julie Esposito – Parkland
Kayla Londeree – Parkland
Denise Maria Zerega – Pompano Beach

The top 5 Mile Males were

Juri Berchtold – Coral Springs
David Halpern – Boca Raton
Jacob Seeley – Coral Springs

Results for the one-miler have not been posted. All other results are found here.

Parkland resident Jule Esposito won first in the women’s 5 Mile. {David Volz}

Several runners and walkers participated in family and friend groups and socialized together after the run.

Lori Alhadeff, chief executive officer for Make Our Schools Safe, participated in the run and was pleased to see people getting together for a community athletic event.

Lori Aldeheff, founder of Make Our Schools Safe at Sunday’s Parkland Dash. {David Volz}

According to her, the organization has worked to pass Alyssa’s Law in seven states, which calls for the installation of silent panic alarms that are directly linked to law enforcement, ensuring that officers will get to the scene as quickly as possible in case of an emergency,

According to Alhadeff, the organization also works to establish clubs for Make Our Schools Safe in all Broward County high schools and throughout the nation.

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Author Profile

David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.