St. Charles family raising addiction awareness with benefit walk

The hardest battle Chris Foley would ever fight would be the one struggle that ultimately ended his life.

For more than 10 years Foley, a 27-year-old St. Charles native, wrestled with his addiction to drugs. It was an addiction that began with use of marijuana his freshman year of high school and eventually grew to heroin use by the time he was a senior.

It was his addiction that got him expelled from high school senior year and caused him to shuttle in and out of rehab. Foley eventually ended up in prison and he stopped taking drugs. However, after his release, he resumed the habit and on July 15, 2007 Foley overdosed on heroin and died.

This year the Foley family will hold the second annual Chris' Walk Against Substance Abuse July 18 at East Aurora High School to raise money and awareness for Hearts of Hope, a Geneva organization that helps families cope with addictions. The 1-mile walk begins at 9 a.m.

"Chris battled with his addiction for over 10 years, and in one respect I'm proud of him because I can't even imagine the urge he had to use when he said no to drugs in that time he was not using," said Vicki Foley, Chris' mother. "He didn't want to be an addict, he didn't want to be on that roller coaster ride."

Vicki Foley prefers to remember her son as not as an addict but as a sweet, well-rounded kid who loved his daughter Caylee, born in 2004, and was committed to his family.

"Chris was 27 but he was a child. ... After [Caylee] was born he tried exceptionally hard. He held a job for two years and was clean but then he got hooked again," she said of her son's struggles.

"Chris was at every family function and was the kind of kid that would hug, he gave really good hugs."

As the anniversary of his death approached last year, Vicki Foley was approached by her family to create a memorial event for Chris that could also raise money for Hearts of Hope. Last year Chris' Walk raised more than $42,000 for the organization, which offers supportive services to addicts and their families.

Registration for Chris' Walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at East Aurora High School, 500 Tomcat Lane. There is no fee to sign up. The Foley family asks each participant try to raise money to donate to Hearts of Hope.

At 10 a.m. a rally will be held at the high school and Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez will speak, as well as Vicki Foley and Hearts of Hope founder Leah Minalga.

"When I was head of the narcotics unit I saw firsthand the damage drug addiction does, not just to the person using but to the family too," Perez said.

"Anything I can do to help the good work that (Hearts of Hope) does and help raise awareness I will."