Meet Christopher LaMagna – a Professional Chef and UltraRunner from Long Island – who, like many others throughout the pandemic, have struggled with managing their mental health.
LaMagna, 30, took up running as a form of catharsis to beat the isolation that the pandemic brought. And ultimately, he decided to use his newfound hobby as a means of spreading awareness to the vital topic of mental health.
LaMagna reached out to Long Island Crisis Center in late 2021 to casually announce that he would be running 130 miles from Montauk to Manhattan over a two-day period that January as a fundraiser to benefit the agency’s mission of helping and empowering residents during the most critical times in their lives.
He had already set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $1,000. In the end, he raised over $8,000 for the agency. Long Island Crisis Center has since honored LaMagna as its Person of the Year for 2022 because of his incredible story and his relentless endeavor to help others. embarking on this fundraiser ultrarun once again for the second year in a row.
Please support this important cause and join Christopher LaMagna on Saturday, Jan 7 for Montauk to Manhattan: 130 Miles for Mental Health.
You can track his route & come out to cheer him on (or even join in) during his run! Please contact Tawni J. Engel at 516-517-9115 for more information.
