Amityville Family Participates In runDisney In Honor Of LI Man

AMITYVILLE, NY — An Amityville woman was able to honor a local resident, dubbed one of "Disney's biggest fans," who passed away after a battle with cancer last year, after receiving some help from the community.

Last month, Carissa Flynn started a GoFundMe page called "Run for Tony" to raise money to donate and participate in runDisney in honor of Tony Nacci.

"[Nacci] made the trip down to Disney World with his family every year since 1977. Over the years he brought extended family and friends to experience the excitement of Disney and create a lifetime of memories," Flynn wrote. "When Disney launched their cruise ships, he managed to work 8 cruises into his repertoire."

Sadly, Nacci made his last trip to the happiest place on Earth last February. Just seven months after his trip, he lost his battle with prostate cancer.

"He was a proud Vietnam Veteran," Flynn wrote. "Having served in the Navy, he spoke often of his experiences, friendships, losses, and, most importantly, lessons learned."

Flynn and her family decided to participate in this year's runDisney, a virtual Walk Disney World 5K Marathon, in honor of Nacci. The proceeds from the fundraiser went towards both The Wounded Warriors Project and St Judes Children’s Hospital in Nacci's name.

Flynn wanted to raise $2,500 before the event which was held on Jan. 9. Before the event, the community held her to raise a total of $3,825, well exceeding her goal.

"...from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU," Flynn wrote in an update last week. "We are all blessed to have had him in our lives. May we continue to keep his love and good memories alive every day."