5K events raise funds in memory of two young girls

To remember two little girls who suffered tragic deaths, two sets of parents created living memorials to honor them.

The separate charities created in honor of Jeanine Nicarico and Annie Ryan continue to help others.

On Sunday, two popular 5K walk/run events return to Elmhurst and Naperville to raise money for brain tumor research and children's literacy.

Though serious runners compete in both races, plenty of novices hang back and walk the routes, too.

Run for Reading

Jeanine Nicarico loved to read, but her passion wasn't sparked until after she overcame a struggle with literacy.

Her fourth-grade teacher, Irene Rahder at Elmwood Elementary School in Naperville, began incorporating Jeanine's love of horses into her lessons, hoping to spark the girl's interest.

It clicked.

Jeanine became an avid reader before she was murdered Feb. 25, 1983. She was 10 years old.

In honor of the brown-eyed, dimpled girl, her family set up a memorial fund more than a decade ago to award grants for reading programs in Naperville.

"Our family is deeply touched each year by the support of our community," said Jeanine's oldest sister, Chris Roy. "I think it is Jeanine's way of letting us know that we still have her in our hearts."

To date, more than $100,000 has been doled out to public and private schools in Naperville Unit District 203 and Indian Prairie Unit District 204. Participants in the seventh annual 5K Run for Reading will line up early Sunday at a new location, River Woods Elementary School in Naperville.

The 3.1-mile course is USA Track and Field certified and winds through the River Woods, Farmington and Walnut Ridge neighborhood.

Last year, the race drew more than 400 walkers and runners from across the suburbs. More than 50 local businesses and dozens of volunteers donate their time, money, wares and services to make the event a continued success.

It usually raises about $20,000 annually and is the memorial fund's largest fund-raising event.

Mary Bazan of Lynmar Lending Group, the race's director, came up with the idea for the 5K. She attributes the run's popularity to the high regard in which the Nicarico family is held in the community.

"This is really a grassroots kind of race," Bazan said. "It's for the community and supported by the community.

"Many of these companies and individuals have been sponsors all seven years. We continue to be awed at the community's generosity."

The little girl's parents, Tom and Pat Nicarico, will be waiting for you at the finish line, where they call out names and finish times.

Annie Ryan run

She was the youngest of their six children.

Feisty and kind, Annie loved rabbits and was full of life when, at just 12 years old, she died of an undetected brain tumor in January 1997.

Former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and his wife, Marie, decided the best way to heal was to try to help other children in similar situations.

The ninth annual Annie Ryan Fun Run in Elmhurst benefits the Midwest Children's Brain Tumor Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

To date, the event has contributed more than $500,000 to the center.

"We do it for children facing a devastating diagnosis and in memory of a little girl who left us too soon but whose spirit and smile will always be with us," Jim and his wife, Marie, said in a written statement.

Two years ago, the donations helped buy technology such as an intra-operative MRI, which helps guide neurosurgeons during surgery and tells them how much of a tumor has been removed to avoid the need for follow-up surgery.

The technology debuted in May 2006, being the first of its kind in Illinois. Organizers said the need for such technology is crucial since pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of childhood cancer-related deaths, even surpassing leukemia.

In addition to the 5K race, organizers offer a Kids Running for Kids 1-mile dash for children in first through eighth grades.

Annie's run typically draws more than 1,000 participants. And, similar to the Nicarico charity, corporate sponsorship is key.

If you go

Run for Reading

When: Steps off at 7:30 a.m. May 18

Where: River Woods Elementary School, 2607 River Woods Drive, Naperville

Registration: Pre-register at signmeup.com or at River Woods school from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 17. On day of race, register one hour prior.

Cost: $25

Annie Ryan Fun Run

When: Steps off at 9 a.m. May 18; a one-mile dash for kids grades one through eight begins at 9:45 a.m.

Where: York Road and South Street, Elmhurst

Registration: Pre-register at annieryan.com or at registration tent on day of event

Cost: $25 for adults; $12 for one-mile dash