Beer and supporting a cause provide reason to run in Aurora

A 5K Run for Beer started as a brisk walk Sunday for Jesica Munoz, as 8-month-old daughter Maya balked at being placed into a running stroller as the event started outside the Two Brothers Roundhouse brewery in Aurora.

Instead, the former Elgin resident, who now lives in Chicago, carried Maya in her arms as friend Nicole Dattolo of Carol Stream walked alongside, pushing the stroller. The trio was among the 65 socially distanced participants in the morning run.

Serena Pomerantz, event director for the Illinois Brewery Running Series, said the Run for Beer was the first suburban event for the organization. The organization's other events have been held at breweries in Chicago, where space is often cramped.

Sunday's event at the spacious Two Brothers brewery gave participants a chance to spread out. And instead of having all of the runners line up at once to begin the race, they were allowed to start in smaller groups, Pomerantz said.

"People show up, they run a 5K, and they receive a free beer and a piece of swag," Pomerantz said.

A portion of all race proceeds goes to Giant Steps, a local nonprofit providing resources for families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder, she added.