By Ashley Pavlakis
Photo credit – Stony Brook Medicine
The first annual Anthony’s Red Shoe FUNd Run took place in Stony Brook over the weekend to benefit Ronald McDonald House. The 5K and one-mile walk/run was in support of Stony Brook’s campaign for the new Ronald McDonald House that’s set to open in 2026 at Stony Brook Hospital.
“I organized the FUNd run, it’s in memory of my nephew Anthony who was 14 when he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma at the children’s hospital at Stony Brook. Unfortunately, he passed away at 16. The two years he was there in the Ronald McDonald House room, was so critical, mostly to my sister who never left him the whole time he was there,” said Lisa Muratori, organizer of the FUNd Run.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities, established in 1974, is an organization that helps families going through treatment alleviate the financial burdens that come with being in the hospital. On Long Island, the new house will be the first-ever in Suffolk County and the second on the Island.
“My family and I just wanted to be part of it. I have connections with Stony Brook as a full professor in the School of Health Professions. I wanted to do something with that, when I brought it up to my dean, she was all about sponsoring it,” said Muratori.
The new house that will reside in Stony Brook is a 60,000-square-foot facility where families will be able to receive no-cost housing, respite, meals, and hospitality all while maintaining a close distance to the hospital while their child receives the care they need.
“100% of the money raised through donations and registrations goes to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Metro. That’s the division that’s responsible for the building of the house. We’re in the last [estimated] $4 million,” said Muratori.
Anthony’s Red Shoe FUNd Run was held on the Stony Brook University Campus, runners who signed up for the race were given a free t-shirt as well as access to the post-run patio party with music and food trucks on site.
“This was our first one and hopefully will not be our last one. It was really successful and we’re very pleased with the turnout,” said Muratori.
A special connection was made at the FUNd Run in honor of Anthony.
“Of the three speakers we had, the second speaker was the head of Pediatric Oncology who was Anthony’s oncologist. She [Laura Hogan] really wanted to come because she was his doctor. She still felt this closeness to him and his family,” said Muratori.
Stony Brook University members showed up and showed out for one of their own as the cause was near and dear to the heart of Muratori and her family.
“It was tremendous, so the men’s basketball team led the walk portion. We also had almost forty runners from the physical therapy department, we had over thirty volunteers from the east campus School of Health Professions, we had competitors from nursing and public health. It was really great; it involved people from all over campus as well as people from outside in the neighboring communities,” Muratori told The Messenger. “The first three sponsors for the event overall were Stony Brook sponsors. The first three that stepped up were the School of Health Professions, the program at Public Health, and the Department of Preventive Medicine. Stony Brook really stepped up for sure.”
