NYC PBA duo runs and rolls to Marathon finish

More than $51,000 raised for families of special needs children

Today, a NYC PBA-backed marathon team featuring a union official and a police officer’s son who lives with cerebral palsy crossed the TCS New York City Marathon’s finish line together in an heroic bid to raise money for NYPD families with special needs children.

PHOTOS & VIDEO (for use with credit to NYC PBA)

Police Officer Raymond Salamone, the NYC PBA’s Queens North Financial Secretary, ran the entire 26.2 mile race while pushing the wheelchair of Aidan Riley, the 22-year-old son of the NYC PBA’s Manhattan North Financial Secretary, Police Officer Merritt Riley.

The pair completed the race in 5 hours, 22 minutes and 7 seconds, and raised more than $51,000 for NYPD With Arms Wide Open, a non-profit founded by the elder Riley that assists police families who have children with special or medically complex needs.

Salamone, a 54-year-old NYPD veteran with 31 years on the job, is also a veteran marathoner. This is his seventh New York City Marathon finish, and he plans to retire from the marathon after this race. He has run in support of NYPD With Arms Wide Open for the past two years. In prior races, he has supported charities including Unsung Siblings Foundation, the NYC PBA Widows’ & Children’s Fund and the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, founded by Mets great Rusty Staub.

Today was Aidan Riley’s first New York City Marathon entry and finish. He previously completed the 2023 NYPD Running Club Memorial 5k in Lower Manhattan with Salamone as his partner.

“Marathons are about pushing yourself to your limit, then pushing just a bit more to get through those last few miles,” Salamone said. “For my final marathon, I wanted to push myself further by running with Aidan and raising more money for NYPD With Arms Wide Open. Aidan is a huge supporter of all things NYPD and is one of NYC’s biggest cheerleaders. I could not have been matched up with a better running partner.”

“I am with bursting with pride for my son and my friend for what they’ve accomplished today,” said Merritt Riley. “Their marathon finish shows that amazing things are possible for kids like Aidan when they have the right support, and the money they’ve raised will help us provide that support to many other NYPD families.”

“Ray and Aiden represent the best of our blue family,” said PBA President Patrick Hendry. “New York City police officers come together to support each other through challenges big and small. This team put that solidarity to the test, mile after mile, and finished like champions. We are incredibly proud of them both.”

NYPD With Arms Wide Open is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides support and resources to active and retired NYPD members of all ranks who are parents, guardians or caregivers for children with special needs. In addition to hosting support groups, the organization has assisted members with purchasing specialized durable medical equipment, customized bicycles with hand pedals, and motorized wheelchairs. It also provides financial support to families with children who have extended stays in hospitals or who require intensive physical therapy sessions not covered by insurance.