Tony Ruiz's Birthday Party 1999

May 27th is the birthday of Tony Ruiz, the distance running coach of our club.  Team members decided to use the regular Tuesday post-workout dinner as a subterfuge for a birthday party.  The birthday cake was brought over the day before by Sarah Gross for refrigeration at our regular joint, Two Boots, at Avenue A and Second Street.  Everybody went along, with a few false scares along a way.  First of all, someone was telling Tony how sorry he was to have to leave immediately after the workout and therefore miss the party.   What party?  Then Tony told Sid Howard that HE HAD TO LEAVE EARLY!  It took all of Sid's sweet-talking to chain the guy down.  Things worked out just fine in the end.

• Photo 01: At one end of the table were Sarah Gross, Sid Howard, Tony Ruiz, Jonathan Federman and Jackie Cortes.  The first two had the arduous assignment of watching Tony very carefully in case he slips out.   Watch how they were draped all over him!
• Photo 06: Jack Brennan describes the reunion of the 1979 Metropolitan Marathon championship team last week.   Now, how many of us were already born then?
• Photo 02: Kyra and Eden Weiss are among the 42 people present  for the party.
• Photo 03: Tony Ruiz blows out the candles on the birthday cake.
• Photo 04: The words on the birthday cake are "Happy Birthday Coach."
• Photo 05: Matthew is the picture of palpable excitement.
• Another reason for this gathering is less joyous, as we bid farewell to three people who will be leaving us --- Mette and Carsten Strandlod for Malawi and Nicole Begin for San Diego.  We will miss them.

The following photos were by Tyronne Culpepper:

• Photo 11: Eden & Kyra Weiss in the foreground, Tony Ruiz & John Gleason standing in the background.
• Photo 12: Tony Ruiz, Sarah Gross, Stephanie Gould & Bola Awofeso on one side, Jim Aneshansley, Thomas Pennell, Ana Echeverri & Eve Kaplan on the other side.
• Photo 13: Photographers running amok ...