Suffolk Reporter

Wai Law achieved two significant goals over the Labor Day weekend — he ran 200 miles in just under 55 hours and raised more than $20,000 in the process.

Law, an accountant and ultramarathon runner from Bethpage, NY, completed 50 four-mile loops in Levittown during his fourth and most ambitious charity run. The event aimed to raise money and awareness for the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research and Agape Meals for Kids.

The Hartman Center is dedicated to understanding the causes and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and is part of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University. Agape Meals for Kids addresses childhood hunger and food insecurity faced by children on Long Island.

Supported by local runners, Law took brief rest periods of about 10 minutes after each loop, running continuously day and night to achieve his goal.

In 2021, Law ran across New York State from Buffalo to New York City, raising more than $40,000 — $22,555 for Parkinson’s disease research at Stony Brook and $17,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2022, he completed a loop around the entire perimeter of Long Island, raising nearly $20,000 for Parkinson’s research and the Adolescent Medicine Fund for Excellence at Stony Brook’s Department of Adolescent Medicine.

Law's goal was to raise $20,000; as of September 3rd, he surpassed that figure by almost $1,000 with donations from 110 people. The “Run 4 Miles” campaign will continue through October 6th. Donations can be made via the campaign web page.

Law was first inspired to run for Parkinson’s research after his close friend Dennis Almodovar lost his father to Parkinson’s disease in 2017. Law remarked that Parkinson’s “not only affects the patient but also their families,” adding that it is a condition "you rarely hear about."

The Hartman Center was established in 2013 within Stony Brook University's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior thanks to a gift from the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research matched by the Simons Foundation. Each year, it awards grants to support innovative research projects at Stony Brook University aimed at advancing understanding of Parkinson's disease and developing new therapeutic approaches.

Alfredo Fontanini, professor and chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University said working with Law to raise awareness is “an incredibly meaningful relationship for us at the Hartman Center. It’s a sincere friendship; it’s a partnership. Two hundred miles in 48 hours — it’s a lot. I am incredibly appreciative.”