_________________ FREEPORT _________________
your HEALTH body / mind / fitness
September 29, 2022
With a focus on
HERALD Your Health Wellness
Inside
VOL. 87 NO. 40
Luncheon hosts Brian Curran
Grand opening for fitness studio
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SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 5, 2022
$1.00
The Brown Boyz honored by legislator By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com
Courtesy of the office of Legislator Kevan M. Abrahams
THE BROWN BOYZ got their start in 1982, and have been making music ever since.
Local gospel music group the Brown Boyz were honored by Nassau County Legislator Kevan M. Abrahams for winning the Quartet of the Year award at the 37th annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards. The Brown Boyz comprise brothers Curtis, Dennis and Willie Brown II, all natives of Freeport, and their cousin Joe Williams III, of East Meadow. They have been singing and performing for almost 40 years. The ensemble was first recognized with the award at an
event broadcast on BET on July 16. Many consider the Stellar Awards to be the Grammys of gospel music, since they are among the highest accolades for gospel music artists. “This award is considered (by) a lot of people as the gospel Grammy,” Curtis Brown said. “That's the best way to explain, it's like receiving a gospel Grammy. It’s an award that recognizes our national significance as well as being a part of this great industry, this gospel industry on a national level.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Columbus Ave. principal is training for her 31st marathon By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com
Columbus Avenue School Principal Alma Rocha will hit the streets of the five boroughs in November in the annual New York City Marathon, and will run with a mission to help veterans and their families. Rocha, a long-distance runner who lives in Freeport, is one of eight runners on Team Mission United, a group of athletes who run for Long Island’s over 100,000 veterans and military families. Mission United is an organization that helps U.S. military service personnel, veterans and
their families readjust to civilian life. This encompasses areas such as job preparation and training, emergency financial assistance, case management assistance, and housing development. Rocha moved to New York City from Mexico City when she was 26 years old. She ran her first New York City Marathon that year, and has raced every year since. Running, she said, helps her clear her head and tackle the problems of an elementary school principal. The marathon is especially significant to Rocha because she is running to make a difference. “The first time I ran the Long
Island Half Marathon was the first time I saw veterans running with just one limb,” she said. “In Mexico, war was something far from me. So when I ran the half marathon, it was real for me to see someone with a lost arm or leg. The impact that had on me to be able to come back to the world with crutches or wheelchairs takes my heart. I thought, if veterans can run this, what can a regular person do?” Rocha is answering her challenge this year by running to collect donations to assist those who have selflessly served. She is running “not for recognition but contributing.” This year’s race will be the 31st New York City
marathon she has competed in. “I have never remembered my time to get faster or to win,” she said. “I never did it for that. I run it for me. Because I love it, and then every year it becomes a little bit harder. The fact is, to run is not to qualify for anything. No, it’s just my love of running.” When Rocha isn’t racing, she is devoted to the students of
Columbus Avenue Elementary School. She became principal in 2018, after years of gaining experience and working her way up through the education system, from teacher to assistant principal. “I think education is the way to go in life,” she said. “You CONTINUED ON PAGE 12