Pingree Grove 5K to benefit Shoe4Africa
On a cool, windy morning in Pingree Grove Saturday, 32 runners did their part to support Africa.
The village held its first-ever race, - the Pingree Grove Global 5k run - for Shoe4Africa, an organization that sends shoes to needy people on the continent to prevent diseases people contract when they walk around barefoot.
Runners raised nearly $300 and turned in 17 pairs of shoes for the charity that also benefits student runners in Africa.
Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey, with Drew Smith, the physical education teacher from Cambridge Lakes Learning Center, and Sylvia Polletta, director of corporate administration for the Northern Kane Education Corporation that runs the charter school, organized the race in two weeks.
It attracted runners from all over the area - Elgin, Lake in the Hills, St. Charles, Wheeling, Crystal Lake, Hampshire, Carpentersville and Hawthorn Woods.
It was the first race ever for Chinuk Kim of Carpentersville, who usually runs on the track.
He was nervous about competing, but was also excited about raising money to support the charity.
"I have no reason not to do this," said Kim, who ran the race with son Daniel, 11, and daughter Rachael, 13.
Kim's wife Maria and the couple's other daughter Elizabeth, 4, were two out of about a half-dozen spectators cheering the runners on from the sidelines.
The run took people through portions of the Cambridge Lakes subdivision and on part of the school grounds.
Kathleen Bujak is a fifth and sixth grade teacher at the charter school and an avid runner, having participated in Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle and singing up for Elgin's Fox Trot, the duathlon portion of Batavia's Triathlon event and the Chicago Marathon.
She said the course in Pingree Grove was well-laid out and that a couple of hills made it challenging.
For the Careys, the race was truly a family affair.
Carey was the master of ceremonies/motivator, his daughter Chelsea ran the race and selected the charity that it would benefit and his father Wyman helped hand out water to the runners.
"My running days are behind me," the elder Carey joked.
Everyone who signed up got a free, beige T-shirt that said, "Think Global Run Local Pingree Grove 5k Run."
Carey said officials hope to make the race an annual event and joked they'd need someone to run four-minute miles to increase participation.
"The way this event is going to grow is if we get a world record," he told the runners just before he sent them on their way. When all was said and done, gym teacher Smith, 23, was declared the winner, finishing the race in 18 minutes and 30 seconds.
The occasional bike ride from his Lake in the Hills home to the Cambridge Lakes Learning Center probably didn't hurt.
I was beside myself when I heard he actually does this and asked why anyone would ever do such a thing.
He simply said, "Because it's good for you."
Attention, shutterbugs: Get your cameras ready for the 2009 Village of Algonquin Photo Contest.
The theme this year is "Exploring Algonquin" and should include photographs that focus on being an involved in the Algonquin community through work, public events, organizations public art and volunteerism.
You can pick up an application at village hall or by visiting www.algonquin.org.
The contest is open to people of all ages and select photos will be used in village publications, including the 2010 calendar.
Photos are due Sept. 1; for information, call Sarah Stefan, the village's recreation superintendent, at (847) 658-2700.
• Lenore Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, McHenry County College, Pingree Grove and Elgin bond call. To reach her, call (847) 608-2725 or send an e-mail to ladkins@dailyherald.com