Good times all around at the PPTC picnic

We had perfect weather for our annual picnic on Saturday, June 15! It was a great morning for camaraderie, laughter, and catching up with friends old and new. The crush of red singlets and shirts contrasted nicely with the beautiful early-summer green of our home park. Just before 10 a.m., Al Goldstein and Doug Olney pulled 33 slips of paper from a manila envelope, creating eleven random teams for our traditional relay race. Each participant ran or race-walked one 1.7-mile lap around Prospect Park Lake via Wellhouse Drive.

Team G, composed of speedsters Jason Fleischauer, Liesje Hodgson, and Frank DeLeo, led from start to finish. Teams J and H had a showdown coming into the finish line, with team J holding the edge for silver.

After the participants (and the very enthusiastic spectators!) worked up an appetite, all repaired to the Oriental Pavilion for a delicious brunch. The club sponsored two giant submarine sandwiches, while members contributed food of their own choosing. I heard a lot of good things about Nicole Importico's salted caramel bars, and I concurred with those sentiments.

Former presidents Al Goldstein and Regina Cahill presented each racer with a medal. Then a few of us took a tour of the future skating facility and waterfront of the Lakeside Center. We were happy to discover that it will be very runner-friendly!

Thanks to Anne Perzeszty, Chef Julio, Richard and Kathleen Weaver, and the rest of the Race Committee for organizing the event. And thanks to the kids handing out water bottles at the finish! (Sorry I didn't get your names.)

Individual results are below. More photos are on our Facebook page.