Marathon maniacs running for a cause
What does it take to join the Maniac Marathon Club?
You've got to run three marathons within 90 days.
But Juan Juarez, owner of Solstice Technology Solutions in Lake in the Hills, is doing more than that with his running partner Anastasia Rolek-Andrychowski of Lake in the Hills.
They recently ran a 26.2-mile race in Ohio and also plan on running the 30-mile Lake Front Chicago Marathon later on this month and the 50-mile Ultra Marathon Ice Age Trail Race in Wisconsin in May.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Juarez, 38, who trains with his partner at the running club from Lifetime Fitness in Algonquin, has run nine marathons previously, usually one a year since he started running them, but never a 50-mile ultra marathon.
Rolek-Andrychowski, who typically does five marathons a year, has run about 10 marathons and none that were more than 26.2 miles.
They say the first two marathons will help them prepare for and finish the big one.
"You can't go for time," Rolek-Andrychowski said.
Besides personal accomplishment, the pair, who have deep roots in the area, are running to support the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry.
"We definitely feel that if we're going to run and kill our bodies doing it, we might as well do something good about it," said Juarez, who lives in Carpentersville and has two daughters attending St. Margaret Mary Catholic School in Algonquin. "I feel I can help out two towns that way."
Juarez is sponsoring himself through his company and has raised $500 locally for the food pantry.
If you want to help Juarez for a committed amount per mile, you can drop contributions off at 3710 Rolling Hills Road, Carpentersville, IL 60110.
You can also send checks to the food pantry at 1301 Pyott Road, Suite 213, Lake in the Hills, IL 60156.
Algonquin, get your stuff together: It's time to clean house.
And to help you, Algonquin and Waste Management are sponsoring a villagewide spring cleanup scheduled for April that involves those who already receive refuse and recycling services.
Waste Management will collect the following items for free: toys, old clothes, couches, beds, dressers, grills and patio furniture.
You won't need stickers for the program. But you should know that white goods, construction materials (broken concrete and large amounts of brick and lumber), auto parts and landscape waste aren't included in this promotion.
For information or to view the pick up schedule, visit algonquin.org.
$400 supports local education efforts: The Fox River Grove Lioness Club has given a $200 check to the Friends of the McHenry County College Foundation to support the school's Promise Program, which awards tuition-based scholarships to deserving students.
What's more, the Crystal Lake Rotary Dawn Breakers will match that donation.
This year, 1,088 students qualified for and attended the school under the program, more than three times the school expected, said Bill Brennan, the foundation's interim executive director.
There are now 575 students enrolled in the program - 365 were dropped because they didn't comply with some of the guidelines, Brennan said.
Those guidelines include maintaining a 2.0 grade-point average, completing 16 hours of community service and signing a document saying they agreed with the policies.
Starting in the spring semester, students will have to maintain a grade-point average of 2.5 and in the fall, that jumps to 2.75. In the fall, the community service hours double to 32 hours, so expect to see a lot of students out and about in the area.
"We received a lot of input from the community about the community service aspect and they all said that they thought it should be higher," Brennan said.
If you'd like to donate to The Promise campaign, visit mchenry.edu and click on the corresponding link. For information about the program, call Brennan at (815) 479 7510.
• Lenore Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Cary, Fox River Grove, Pingree Grove and McHenry County College. To contact her, call (847) 608-2725 or e-mail ladkins@dailyherald.com.