ICYMI: Glen Cove Woman Runs North Shore Marathon To Honor Vets

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.

GLEN COVE, NY — When most people go for a run, it's to be active. But for Glen Cove resident Eva Casale, running is much more than a way to stay in shape.

As the founder of Team E.V.A., which stands for "Every Veteran Appreciated, Casale recently racked up some serious mileage in order to raise awareness and funds for a cause close to her heart: veterans.

With a route along Long Island's North Shore, Team E.V.A. ran 26.2 miles this Veterans Day while laying out flowers and wreaths in honor of our fallen heroes.

"The sacrifices that veterans have made for our country is something that can never be matched so I want to bring awareness to them by the best way that I know how, through running," said Casale. "We live in a free country because of these brave men and women and their selfless families, so anything that my team and I can do to give back to our veterans and to support their families is more than worth any distance."

This isn't the first time Casale has used her passion for running to honor veterans.

Each year, she laces up and hits the pavement to do what many consider to be the impossible: run seven marathons in seven days. That 184-mile journey is part of "Every Veteran Appreciated Week," an annual challenge in which her team raises money for active military and veterans.

This year, Team E.V.A. raised more than $30,000. A portion of the money raised has gone to a group of veterans whose meeting hall was destroyed in a fire this summer.