Run and Fun for Knowledge

Kids, along with some parents, start running in Wagner Park, where they had gathered on Saturday morning, Sept. 21. Above: There were long lines for this “pirate ship” ride,” one of many fun activities at the carnival. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

And they were off!

Kindergartners to middle-schoolers scampered away from their starting lines in Wagner Park on Sept. 21 for the 14th annual running of the Run for Knowledge race, raising funds for their schools, P.S/I.S. 89 and P.S./I.S. 276.

As always, P.S. 89 principal Ronnie Najjar was standing at the finish line in Rockefeller Park to hand out medals to the kids, whose real reward was the carnival that awaited them at her school. Amid all the excitement, Najjar was mindful of the importance of the money raised, much of it done through corporate sponsorship.

“In light of all the budget cuts and restrictions that we have about spending, this really helps us put extra money into the PTA budget,” Najjar said. Along with funds for the library (the original intent of the run when the school opened in 1998-99 with no books), enrichment programs like music and dance also benefit.

P.S./I.S. 276 principal Terri Ruyter said that chess, drama, music and Spanish classes are all extra classes that her students can take, thanks in part to Run for Knowledge. But that’s not all.

“What I like is that it’s the whole Battery Park City community,” she said. “So the parents from 276 work with the parents of 89 and 289, and it just brings us all together for a common purpose.”

“All these kids are neighbors and friends,” said Gabrielle Steinfels, one of the event’s chairs. “No matter what school they go to.”