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Persistence pays off for walk's co-coordinator

Theresa Raguso is fired up about the Chicago Walk for PKD, rallying her team and raising money to support research and awareness. Since 2008, the team she named Sal's Pals in honor of her dad has been in the walk.

"People are curious and will ask questions about PKD when you're fundraising, and some will give right then and there," says Raguso, who is serving as co-coordinator of this year's walk Sept. 20 in Busse Woods.

"But other people forget or just get busy with their lives. You have to keep it in their faces and remind them why it's so important."

Raguso reminds people with frequent emails and posts on social media. She wants other walk captains and walk participants to know persistence pays off.

"By being consistent, you're showing people you really care about the cause - fighting PKD - and that has an effect on people," she said.

Her father, uncle, great-uncle and each of her great uncle's three sons have PKD.

"My great-aunt had us all do the walk for the first time in 2005," she says. "This was right around the time my great-uncle received his transplant and my family began learning about the PKD Foundation. I really started getting involved after that."

Through her involvement with the foundation, Raguso has found a way to feel like she's making a difference for her loved ones … and raise awareness of a disease that isn't as well known as other chronic diseases.

"I meet so many people who have never heard about PKD, so it's always encouraging to see so many new faces at the Chicago walk every year," she says. "The chance for people with PKD to get together and share experiences with others going through the same thing is another invaluable experience the walk makes possible."

Raguso has a lot of experience as a walk captain and has some advice for walkers and teams just starting out.

"Don't be afraid if your team is small and doesn't raise a lot of money the first few years," she says. "You're still part of the end goal of finding treatments and a cure, and that matters!

"The longer you keep at it, the more people will support you - never give up."

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