More than 300 runners and walkers made waves on the Coney Island boardwalk on May 9 at the UFT’s second annual 5K Family Run, which raised more than $15,000 for the UFT Disaster Relief Fund to benefit survivors of the Nepal earthquake.

For a team of teachers from PS 215 in Gravesend, Brooklyn, the event was a chance to expand their camaraderie beyond the school building. Teachers Dominic Zambito and Danielle Bacchino, who regularly run together during their lunchtime, recruited a dozen other participants for the event.

“As a school, we’re a team,” said Bacchino. “We’re all team players; we’re like a family.”

Retirees Connie Donohue, Donna Chartash and Anita Falso were participating in their very first 5K.

“We came out to support the Disaster Relief Fund and the Brooklyn UFT,” said Donohue. “And our goal is to get to the end!”

The cool, misty weather didn’t slow the runners as they charged past Luna Park’s roller coasters and onto the field at MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.

“I liked running on the boardwalk and running near the ocean,” said Christine Wong, the chapter leader at PS 1 in Chinatown.

“It was nice to hit home plate!” said Liza Weinstein, a fellow teacher at PS 1.

The winner, Victor Acevedo of PS 108 in South Ozone Park, Queens, crossed the finish line in 20:54. The first-place female finisher was Victoria Primiano, the chapter leader of PS 62 in South Richmond Hill, Queens. Both winners were awarded plaques and gift cards.

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Miller Photography

Hundreds of other participants followed, met with high fives by Cyclones mascot Sandy the Seagull. Some crossed under the balloon arch triumphantly holding hands; others saw friendly rivalries emerge as they dashed to beat each other out at the finish line. The youngest participant, 6-month-old Jasper — wearing a shirt that said “Proud UFT Baby” — was pushed in a stroller by his parents, Walter and YaTing Ng, teachers at PS 94 in Sunset Park.

All the participants received T-shirts, and the youngest runners were rewarded with yo-yos and Frisbees.

“People brought their whole families and came with their friends,” said Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell, who organized the event. “It was really a family gathering. It had such a positive vibe.”