Hundreds Hit the Beach in Tribute to Garden City Marine

Hundreds of runners and walkers hit the beach Saturday to pay tribute to a hero from Garden City who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

“Why not celebrate where he liked to surf and hang out,” said Greg LiCalzi, the brother of fallen U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Michael LiCalzi and the founder of the Ace in the Hole Foundation.

The non-profit, established by LiCalzi and his family, held its third annual run/walk at Lido West Beach on May 12 to honor Michael, who was killed in Iraq on May 11, 2006 while serving in the 2nd Tank Battalion. 

The event, which aimed to raise money for a number of charitable organizations, consisted of raffles, refreshments, snacks and the main attraction, a two-mile run/walk along the shore of Lido West.

The opening ceremony, which started at approximately 10:30 a.m., featured speeches and reflections by Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, Greg LiCalzi, family members and other Marines who were close to LiCalzi. 

The walk/run followed the event leading participants past the surfboard memorial and down the wooden walkway onto the beach. 

“We want to make it a yearly event,” said LiCalzi. “It was a friends and family event that turned into an everyone event.”

LiCalzi also commented on the incredible response his family received from not only the event's participants, but also from the Town of Hempstead, which helped to put in place the surfboard memorial for Michael LiCalzi in 2009. 

“The town is already on board with their support for next year,” he told Patch. “They have really been such a great help.” 

According to LiCalzi, this year the run/walk surpassed past years, raising the most it ever has, more than $70,000.  Most of the money raised came from generous corporate donations, sales of T-shirts, raffles and participant tickets (adults were $20, students were $10 and all veterans and active duty military were free) among other personal donations. 

Even though LiCalzi explained that the only marketing the foundation did for the event was “through Facebook and grassroots advertising,” more than 400 people turned out, the highest amount in the event’s history. 

Funds raised from the event will be distributed to a few selected charities such as the United States Marine Corps 2nd Tank Battalion, the Wounded Warrior Project, the Huntington Disease Society of America, the Disease Society of America, and Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types.

“We want to make it an event that people want to go to,” LiCalzi explained. “Next year, we are aiming for more people and more money.”