Fox River Corridor in St. Charles gears up for 2nd Bob Leonard walk

Last year, the first ever Bob Leonard Walk-A-Thon raised $12,000 that translated into 20 feet of shoreline being rescued from sloughing off into the Fox River during multiple flood-level rains.

Without the work, the new shoreline near Sage Bistro in St. Charles would consist of the deck on the outside of the restaurant followed immediately by the river itself.

This year's walk aspires to similar good works with the ultimate goal of creating a pedestrian path for walking and biking along the river. Money raised next month will fund phase two of that project and address shoreline on the west side of the river near Illinois and Indiana Streets.

Leonard, who died last year, was a leader for numerous riverfront projects through the Downtown St. Charles Partnership. He also helped create the master plan for the river corridor, which is followed by St. Charles, the St. Charles Park District and the Partnership. The walk helps raise funds to carry on his vision for the river corridor.

The route of the Aug. 9 walk begins and ends in Pottawatomie Park with a trip through Mount St. Mary Park in the middle.

There will also be a bit more of a link to the man the walk is named after. One of Bob Leonard's sons, Jeff, is coming from Heartland, Wis., to provide live musical entertainment at the conclusion of the walk.

The event will occur rain or shine and attracted more than 100 walkers last year in addition to a number of sponsors. All participants who raise $50 or more will be entered in a contest to win prizes that include a weekend getaway package at the Hotel Baker, a stained glass panel of the Fox River, an outdoor fountain and book donated by Aquascape Designs, a dinner theater package and a three-month fitness club membership.

"Bob Leonard had such a clear vision of what downtown St. Charles and the river corridor can be," said David Richards, executive director of the Downtown St. Charles Partnership. "It's wonderful to see his ideas coming to fruition, for all the citizens of St. Charles to enjoy. We hope a great many people sign up to participate in the Walk-A-Thon so we can continue to implement Bob's vision for downtown St. Charles."

Walk participants can register at 8 a.m. at Pottawatomie Park on the day of the walk, which begins at 9 a.m. More information and registration forms are available at: www.stcrivercorridor.org.