Riverhead Local: ‘Andrew’s Top Gun Run’ 5K scheduled to honor late Wading River Boy Scout

By Alek Lewis, Riverhead Local | Link to the original article

When Andrew McMorris was younger, his family would ride bikes together at the Enterprise Park in Calverton. Andrew, who dreamed of becoming a pilot, “pretended when he biked down the old runways that he was actually taking off in an airplane,” his father said.

Now, one of those runways will host a 5K run in honor of the late Wading River Boy Scout, who died in 2018 after he and his troop were struck by a drunk driver while hiking in Manorville.

The 5K, titled “Andrew’s Top Gun Run,” is hosted by the Suffolk County Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Andrew McMorris Foundation, the nonprofit established in his name.

The race will start at 9 a.m. on March 26, days before what would have been Andrew’s 16th birthday. 

“I’m sure he would be the first in our family to get his driver’s license and his pilot’s license in the same year,” his mother Alisa McMorris said.

The event was announced at a press conference Monday at Grumman Memorial Park, where a retired F-14 Tomcat fighter jet Andrew “loved” towered over his family, local elected officials and Boy Scout officials as they spoke in his memory. 

“Our world today has many scary headlines, and we need the blue skies and strong tailwinds to propel us into a future that we can be proud of. Part of the Scout law says we have to help people at all times, to keep the Scout physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. And this will be your event,” Alisa McMorris said.

The proceeds from the race will go to the Andrew McMorris Foundation, which advocates for legislation to crack down on drunk driving; provides scholarships to local students interested in aviation and the creative and performing arts; and supports various community organizations like the Scouts. 

“We ask that everyone please help us put our grief into action and keep Andrew’s spirit alive by supporting events like this one,” Andrew’s father John McMorris said. “So we can continue to give out scholarships and ‘scouterships’ for deserving young leaders as well as to assist us and get the message out there not to drink and drive.”

Local elected officials rallied at the conference in support of the event, speaking of the McMorris family’s perseverance in the face of tragedy and advocacy in Andrew’s name. 

“I was a Suffolk County prosecutor for many years, and I dealt with cases such as Andrew’s — the tragic loss of life or serious injuries that resulted from drunk driving. And to turn that into action is an amazing thing,” State Senator Anthony Palumbo said.

“As we stand here at the site of the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Calverton in anticipation of ‘Andrew’s Top Gun Run’ I am struck by the similarities between these mighty jets and the McMorris family — strong, determined and resolute in their mission,” said Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar. “I commend John and Alisa McMorris for their fortitude and persistence in raising funds and awareness for scholarships and the dangers of drunk and impared driving and for them to continue to work in this mission. I am proud that EPCAL will be the site of Andrew’s Top Gun run and look forward to a successful event.”

Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine praised the McMorris family for organizing the event to promote scholarships and advocacy against drunk driving. “This race is something we all can be proud of. And at the end of this race, we can say one thing for sure: Andrew, fly high,” he said.

County Legislator Kara Hahn said she is looking forward to participating in the race.  “It’s just wonderful to be supporting those who work for service in the community, and how Andrew had done that through Scouts. And we want to honor that, honor his memory,” she said.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino said his entire staff will be running in the event. “I think it’s just a wonderful way to honor Andrew’s memory. It’s something that I hope will go on for a very long time. And it’s just great that the family and friends are here today to kick this off. I’m honored to be here,” he said.

You can register for the run on the official website.