Brothers - one in Barrington, one in Saudi Arabia - together for Freedom Run

This Saturday, two brothers will take a run together - more than 7,000 miles apart.

Matt and Brian Gerber will participate in the second annual Freedom Run. But while Matt will be running in Barrington, Brian will be on the other side of the world.

Brian, an Army major serving in Saudi Arabia, is among hundreds of military personnel participating in 9.11-mile runs in Afghanistan; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. The so-called "shadow runs" are a way for the servicemen and women to connect with those running in Barrington, and for the local runners to show their solidarity and support to those serving around the world.

The Freedom Run is but one part of the Family Freedom Festival in downtown Barrington Saturday, an event of patriotic entertainment established in response to 9/11 and aimed at showcasing groups that support troops and veterans.

Matt Gerber, 29, an Army veteran, will participate in the Freedom Run a mere eight hours after arriving home from his honeymoon in Greece.

Since the Chicago area has a relatively low number of active-duty military, he says it means a lot to him to see the community come together to support troops. With the country's bad economy, terrorist threats and other dangers, he thinks U.S. patriotism is lacking. This run shows that the people care deeply about military servicemen and women.

And that's the whole point of We Do Care, the group that organizes the Freedom Run and the Family Freedom Fest.

We Do Care President Dirk Beveridge of Barrington said the Freedom Run is a way for the people of the Chicago area to connect with the military.

Last year's inaugural run in Barrington included a shadow run in Guantanamo Bay where 230 military personnel participated. This year, organizers expect 280 runners in Guantanamo Bay, 250 in Saudi Arabia and 15 to 20 in Afghanistan.

Brian Gerber, 34, has been on active duty for 10 years, so he's used to having to leave loved ones behind during deployments. But his current one was by far the hardest, because this time he had to leave his 2-month-old daughter, Lila, behind.

"It was very hard," he said from Saudi Arabia via e-mail. "For all of the times I had to leave home, I was never emotional when I left. This time, it crushed me. She was just starting to smile and that made it even more difficult."

His wife Jenny is helping him cope by videotaping Lila's day-to-day activities and sending DVDs to Brian. He also records himself reading books for Lila, and there's a life-size cutout photo of him - they call it "Flat Brian" - at home in Freeport, Ill.

The Gerbers are a tight-knit family from Rockford. Brian and Matt's father Bill is a Vietnam veteran. Matt thinks very highly of his brother and all of his achievements.

"My brother is my best friend," Matt said. "We served in the military together in the same unit at Fort Sill, Okla. He's my role model, and you'd be hard pressed to find a funnier, smarter and nobler citizen anywhere."

Brian has a mutual respect for his brother. While Brian studied for his master's degree at Northern Illinois University, he appreciated the time he could spend with Matt.

"I'm so lucky to have him in my life as a close friend," Brian said. "Our pride for one another is always reciprocated. He'll tell you how proud he is of me, but I look at how he's become such a great young man and gives so much to so many people. He's just a stud."

Brian is already looking forward to next year's Freedom Run. He comes home July 1, 2010. The family will be able to put away Flat Brian, as Lila can spend time with her 3-D father. And he's got other plans: "I look forward to coming home next year," he said, "and actually running the race in Barrington."

<p class="factboxheadblack">Family Freedom Festival and Run</p> <p class="News">• The 9.11-mile Freedom Run starts at 9:11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Barrington Metra Station, 201 South Spring St. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. Cost is $30; $15 for veterans; free for active-duty personnel, their families, and ROTC members. There is also a 9.11K walk.</p> <p class="News">• The 6th Annual Family Freedom Festival runs from noon-10 p.m. Saturday at the Barrington Metra station. Free admission. Includes military speakers, booths for groups that help military personnel and veterans, family-oriented and patriotic entertainment, military vehicle display, memorial service for the fallen, beer garden. Info: we-do-care.org.</p>