Santa Run brings merriment to downtown Arlington Hts.

It was a very merry Christmas Saturday morning in downtown Arlington Heights as hundreds of Santas took to the streets for the annual Rotary Santa Run.

The event, in its seventh year, has become the Arlington Heights Rotary Club's biggest fundraiser, bringing in about $50,000 last year. It helps fund the good works Rotary performs, such as the international effort to eradicate polio.

"It's been our biggest, best fundraiser and a great community event," said Linda Borton, president of the Arlington Heights Rotary.

A first-time runner and a 12-year breast cancer survivor, Borton decided this year to participate as a runner.

"I work this every year and I've never actually been on the course, so this year I decided I would work early, then run to see what it was all about," she said.

Race director Neil Scheufler said the race appeals to people of all ages.

"I think our youngest runner is 3 years old, and we have them all the way up into the 70s," he said.