PIERMONT – Hundreds of people will run or walk through the waterfront village tomorrow morning during an annual charity event by several Rockland police
organizations. Proceeds from the Rockland Emerald Society’s 3.1-mile run will help finance a scholarship fund for Ramapo Police Officer Christopher Hudak’s four young children. Hudak’s wife, Michelle, died in January from complications during childbirth. Her father is former Clarkstown Police Chief William Collins, and her brother Bill is a state police sergeant. More than 1,500 people attended a separate fundraiser in March for the family organized by the Ramapo Policeman’s Benevolent Association. The Emerald Society’s 10th annual race kicks off at 9 a.m. at Flywheel Park in the center of the village. The cost is $30 on race day. The Emerald Society started the race in 2000 to raise awareness that exercise is important for police officers and the public. The race became an extension of runs to Washington, D.C., that raise money for a memorial for officers killed in the line of duty. Before the inaugural race, Orangetown Police Officer John Casey, a former county police union president, died of leukemia. The race became a tribute to Casey, raising about $5,000 for his family. About 200 people participated.
Every year since 2000, the society has used the run to raise money for a Rockland family, a special charity, or the Rockland Patrolmen’s Benefit Association’s Widows and Orphans Fund.