Midtown Athletic Club hosts run-walk for charity

Midtown Athletic Club, 1760 N. Hicks Road in Palatine, is hosting its fifth annual Midtown 5K Run and Walk at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 29. The proceeds will benefit Bears Care.

Former Chicago Bears players and team mascot Staley Da Bear are scheduled to attend.

Bears Care, the charitable arm of the Chicago Bears, is committed to improving the quality of life for people in the Chicago area, especially disadvantaged children and their families, through targeted programs supporting education, youth athletics and medical research, and health awareness programs focusing on breast and ovarian cancer.

After the 5K run and walk, which will wind through the scenic Deer Grove East Forest Preserve, participants and their families are invited into the club for a celebration and awards ceremony. Whole Foods will provide refreshments and Mobile Music Interactive Entertainment will entertain.

Attendees can also participate in a silent auction to raise funds for charity. More than 500 people participated in last year's event, raising $20,000 for Bears Care.

The primary sponsor for the event is FlagShip Integration Services, a locally based strategic business consulting and technology solutions provider to Fortune 500 companies.

Additional sponsors include the Chicago Bears, Athletico, Bannockburn Travel Management, Cold Stone Creamery, Cubby Bear, the Daily Herald, Direct Fitness Solutions, Edgge Media Group, InGear, Mobile Music Interactive Entertainment, 101.9-FM "The Mix," Richard Klein Photography, Steaz, SolidLine Media, UPS, U.S. Bank, and Whole Foods Market.

Registration is under way at Midtown Athletic Club, or online at signmeup.com/56268. For more information, contact Robyn Kove at (847) 991-4646 or robyn.kove@midtown clubs.com.