Shelter Inc. holds fund-raising race in Busse Woods

The Shelter Inc. 5K Run/Walk kicked off at 9 a.m. on a perfect spring Saturday in Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village.

Vicki Bartkowiak, who works for Shelter and was running in the race with her mother and her son and about 200 other people, talked about the good work the agency does in working with abused children and how much it needs donations.

"It's overwhelming how people come out and support Shelter all these years," Carol Brown, Shelter's director of development said, adding that she's "so grateful of the level of support."

Elliott Bambrough, co-host of the TV show "Chicago's Best," was emcee.

All proceeds benefit Shelter, the only nonprofit, licensed and accredited child welfare agency in the Northwest suburbs providing community-based emergency and longer-term care and housing for children and adolescents.

Shelter has emergency, traditional and home-of-relative foster care programs, and operates three group homes for boys, girls and older adolescent males. More information is at shelter-inc.org.