5 LI teens walk from Breezy Point to Montauk

The rain and wind Tuesday may have scared off most beachgoers on Long Island, but to five young men walking along the water at a stretch of Jones Beach, it was preferable to the usual heat.

Joseph Nassirian, 17, Hayes Brown, 18, Nicholas Fera, 17, Patrick Love, 18, and Chris Jeffrey, 17, all of Manhasset, braved the rain and made their way east along the Jones Beach shore, not stopping until they reached Cedar Beach Park, 11 miles away.

The friends are walking the length of the of Long Island's South Shore, a total 115 miles, in 10 days to raise money for Parkinson's disease research.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while," Love said. "My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about 15 years ago, and it's really affected my family. I wanted to do a walk to raise money and awareness for it, and my friends wanted to help."

An estimated 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson's disease, and there is no known cure, according a website supporting the Parkinson's foundation of actor Michael J. Fox, who has the disease.

Dubbed the South Shore Walk by the group, the trek started at Breezy Point Jetty on Sunday and will end at Montauk Lighthouse on July 20. The friends' itinerary has them walking an average of 12 miles each day, and they spend nights at relatives' houses nearby or hotels.

The group, which started mapping out the journey in December, has raised $12,450 so far and is still accepting donations. Teams can sign up with the Fox foundation to raise money. The local group hopes to be one of the top five teams nationally for donations. "Our original goal was five thousand dollars, so this is just amazing to us," Fera said. "Even as we walk along the beach, people stop us to ask what we're doing, and many of them give us cash."

They all graduated Manhasset High School in June, except Jeffrey, who graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola. "It's a great culmination of high school for us," said Brown. "We see it as a rite of passage and a good transition into college."

"The best part is the unfiltered conversations while we walk," said Fera. "We talk about anything and everything, because that's all we can do. It's an awesome bonding experience."

Super Runner Shop in Huntington supplied them with sneakers and socks, and the group travels with a first-aid kit, sunscreen, snacks and water bottles. "Even though we're all varsity athletes, it's tiring," said Nassirian.

The trip hasn't been without difficulties. "We always try to walk right next to the water, because the sand is harder there and easier to walk on," said Fera. Though it rained through most of Tuesday, the group was upbeat. "It's just rain," said Fera. "We can get through it." Donations can be made by accessing "South Shore Walk" at www.teamfox.org.