Easter Seals' Run for the Kids steps off Saturday in Villa Park
Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region's ninth annual 5K run/2-mile walk, Run for the Kids, begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 5, starting and finishing at the Easter Seals Rosalie Dold Center, 830 S. Addison Ave., Villa Park.
Check-in and same-day registration run 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. All abilities and skill levels are welcome.
Preregistration is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Whole Foods Market Willowbrook, 201 63rd St. All preregistered participants will receive a T-shirt and a Whole Foods tote bag.
To register online, visit eastersealsdfvr.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1006632.
Easter Seals' clients will be participating in the Run for the Kids, including Colin Cismesia, 15, Downers Grove; Kelly Ross, 17, Elmhurst; Jayne Crouthamel, 9, Burr Ridge; and Ben Brandt, 10, Glen Ellyn. Each has been involved in a Monday afternoon program titled, “Hustle for your Health,” run by Easter Seals DuPage Fox Valley Region therapists, to develop long-distance running skills.
“We are so excited about the kids who have been working hard to prepare for the Easter Seals' Run for the Kids 5K race this year,” said physical therapist Laura Basi.
The program was developed to promote the idea that physical fitness is important for everyone, including children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. Running, a weight-bearing aerobic activity, promotes cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, bone health, lower extremity strength and endurance, symmetry of movement in both upper and lower extremities, and emotional regulation. These are all areas that children with special needs can improve. “This is the first year we have offered this program,” Basi said. “The program is open to kids with a variety of disabilities, but it ended up that the four participants all have some form of cerebral palsy.”
The format of the 10-week program includes a dynamic warm-up, outdoor aerobic activity in the form of running and walking, discussions about fitness-related topics and stretching to cool down.
Each week builds from the previous week's workout. The kids meet together with the therapists once a week to complete the workout. They work out two additional times on their own with the assistance of a friend or family member.
“We have been so impressed with each participant's dedication to the program,” Basi said. “The Run for the Kids race is their first 5K. The therapists are so proud of them. Each has dramatically improved in some way, either in overall endurance, more efficient running pattern, more positive attitude toward fitness, or all of the above.”
Trophies will be awarded and following the race there will be activities for the entire family: a Kids' Dash, entertainment with a DJ, face-painting and a silent auction with prizes.
Proceeds from the race will benefit the mission of Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region to enable infants, children and adults with disabilities to achieve maximum independence and to provide support for the families who love and care for them.
Since 1952, Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region has been helping children and adults with disabilities walk, sit up, ride a bike, and say “I love you” for the first time.
Services include physical, occupational, speech-language, nutrition and assistive technology therapies. Additional services include audiology services for all ages, community outreach programs, social services, specialty clinics such as the new the Autism Diagnostic Clinic, and The Lily Garden, an inclusive child care center.
For details, call (630) 620-4433.
If you go
What: Run for the Kids 5K and 2-mile walk
Why: Proceeds support Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region
When: Registration and check-in from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Saturday, May 5; race begins at 9 a.m.
Where: Easter Seals Rosalie Dold Center, 830 S. Addison Ave., Villa Park
Cost: $20 in advance, $30 on race day
Info: eastersealsdfvr.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1006632