Human Race raises money for 71 DuPage County charities

As runners and walkers lined up for the start of the DuPage Human Race on Saturday, each had a different reason for lacing up their sneakers.

A runner eager to help homeless families get back on their feet set out on the 5K course near a jogger wanting to support students with autism. A walker committed to caring for seniors paced stride for stride over the 2-mile walking route with another dedicated to helping refugees transition to life in the Western suburbs.

All told, the roughly 1,600 participants in the DuPage Human Race supported 71 different nonprofits at work in DuPage County. As each person registered, he or she chose which group would benefit from the entry fee.

Giving DuPage, itself a nonprofit agency that matches volunteers and donors with local charities, organizes the event each year to help partner groups without the resources to arrange their own fundraising runs. This year, partner agencies included counseling services, food pantries, legal resources, arts organizations, shelters for the homeless and those suffering abuse, animal shelters, specialized schools and veterans support.

"These nonprofit organizations offer a multitude of resources that protect, improve and enrich our DuPage community," Giving DuPage Executive Director Shefali Trivedi said while planning the race.

In its sixth year, the event is still growing, Trivedi said. After just one year, the race moved from its original location to The Esplanade at Locust Pointe in Downers Grove to accommodate more runners and walkers. Over its first five years, the race generated $347,500 for local organizations. This year, Trivedi said, the goal was to raise $100,000 for the local organizations the race and the runners support.

Though the runners all came to the race with their own cause in mind, they crossed the finish line knowing they all were helping to achieve one goal: making DuPage County a better place.