Education foundation leads charity race in Naperville Marathon
The third annual marathon in Naperville hasn't started yet, but one charity already is in the lead.
The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation registered 108 participants — the most among any of the 26 charities affiliated with the race — during an early registration period that concluded Friday.
The foundation, which supports teacher grants, arts, sciences and other programs in Indian Prairie Unit District 204, raised $32,000 with 31 runners in last year's marathon and is excited to build on that success, Executive Director Susan Rasmus said.
“We could not be happier about it,” Rasmus said about the 108 charity runners representing each of the district's 34 schools. “I think people are just excited to find ways to give back.”
The team includes a school board member, several principals and parents from the district's past, present and future. Half of the money each runner raises will go to the foundation, while the other half will go directly to the school of the runner's choice.
“It's a worthy cause,” said Metea Valley High School Principal Darrell Echols, who signed up to run his first half marathon at the friendly urging of other district principals. “A lot of that money comes back to help run our programs — summer school programs, science programs — and provide equipment for kids to use in the classroom.”
Indian Prairie Educational Foundation is requiring each charity runner to raise at least $400, meaning this year's fundraising total is sure to top last year's, Rasmus said.
“We've already raised $40,000 and we haven't even stated yet,” she said.
The $32,000 the foundation raised last year was enough to make it the race's top charity during an event that generated roughly $250,000 for all 26 groups.
“Last year we were the Number 1 charity, so we wanted to do even better,” said Krishna Bansal, an Indian Prairie Educational Foundation board member who is running the half marathon on the charity team. “If I do it, I'll be able to motivate more people and I'll be able to bring in some more people who don't participate.”
Rasmus said the charity team will really get started at the end of April, when runners will meet to build their fundraising and training strategies.
After a nearly two-week registration period for charity runners only, the charities with the most participants after the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation — Down syndrome organization Gigi's Playhouse and the Naperville Education Foundation for Naperville Unit District 203 — had 16 runners each, Race Director Craig Bixler said.
“Kids in both school districts are going to come out of this winners,” Bixler said. “It speaks well to what the Naperville school districts mean to the communities.”
Runners still can register through many race-affiliated charities and receive discounts of $20 or $30 on the signup fee, Bixler said.
Open registration began Saturday at $85 for the 13.1-mile half marathon and $115 for the 26.2-mile full distance, and while spots weren't snapped up as quickly as in the past two years, organizers expect a full field of participants. Starting and finishing on Eagle Street between Jackson and Aurora avenues near the Naperville municipal center, this year's race can accommodate a maximum of 8,000 runners.
“We expect steady registration throughout the spring, summer and fall,” Bixler said. “There's no doubt there will be enough demand and we'll be filled by race day.”