What does 10-10-10 mean to you?

On July 7, 2007, excited couples flocked to Las Vegas and local courthouses for the seemingly luckiest date for a wedding: 7-7-7.

And it was no accident that the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, kicked off Aug. 8, 2008.

In Chinese culture, 8 is a lucky number for wealth and prosperity.

So what does Oct. 10, 2010, mean?

Depending on whom you talk to, 10-10-10 could mean just about anything.

It's viewed by numerologists as a date of renewal, closing an old chapter and starting a new one.

And plenty of suburbanites are seizing the day to start something new or embrace a new challenge.

Wendie Shawaluk of Elk Grove Village signed up to run in her fourth Chicago Marathon in part because two of her childhood friends, Linda Sellers of Des Plaines and Teri Pierce of Campbell, Calif., thought the date was too good to pass up.

“The incentive was 10-10-10. I don't know if I would have run it unless (Linda) asked me to, Shawaluk said.

Added Sellers: “I got to thinking 10-10-10 is a once in a lifetime occasion; why not train for something as big as the date? My goal (on) Sunday is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Shawaluk also noticed that her marathon bib number is 13224. The first three numbers added together equal 6 the month she was born and the 24 matches the date.

“When I got that bib, I said, ‘This is going to be a good race,' she said. “Am I into numerology? No. Do I like good numbers? Yes.

Jasmine Miller is a Seattle-based numerologist who says today's date has several meanings. In one instance, you can add up the numbers in 10-10-2010 to get 5, which is about change, travel, transformation and exploring.

On another level, 10 often is the closing of the circle, a sign that something has run its course or signals the sign of a new beginning.

“10 in itself is the culmination of things. It's like the last chapter of a book getting you set up for the next chapter, Miller said.

“There's hope around the corner. This is a change to have faith and have courage and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things will get better. It's a chance to start over or get a clean slate.

Some couples made sure today would be a special day for starting something new.

Barbara Guzman, banquet manager at Wellington of Arlington in Arlington Heights, said the hall will host a small wedding, a larger one of more than 200 people, along with a 30th wedding anniversary and birthday party.

When Wellington officials noticed Oct. 10 on the calendar, they knew it would fill fast.

“When we see something like that, we knew it would book out. People will like to say they got married on 10-10-10, Guzman said. “The most popular date was 7-7-07. Everybody wanted that date.

Some Roman Catholic churches, such as Ss. Peter and Paul in Naperville, won't perform wedding ceremonies Sunday and stuck to their tradition of Saturdays only.

Christ Community Church in St. Charles won't be hosting any wedding ceremonies either, and no one even inquired.

Some environmental groups are using the day to inspire people around the world to take action.

In Elgin, members of the Elgin Climate Change Organization and other groups will plant garlic bulbs at the Hawthorne Hills Nature Preserve and clean trails.

The effort is part of more than 5,200 work parties across the globe organized by the group 350.org.

It also dovetails with the “10:10:10 Global Day of Doing, an effort to get people to cut their carbon use by 10 percent.

But Tarah Franzen, who lives near Lake Villa, just wants to party.

Franzen's 10th birthday means a sleepover party Sunday with four of her friends and an extra special “Golden Birthday.

“Not a lot of people get to have a birthday like that, said Tarah, who is hoping for some Bratz dolls for her special day. “My teacher (at Woodland Intermediate School in Gurnee) says it's really cool. My friends are just excited.“

Sandi Franzen said her daughter was delivered via Caesarean section a few minutes before 10 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2000.

“I never thought 10 years later she would be 10 on 10-10-10, the elder Franzen said. “That's all she's been talking about. It will be a special day for us. We've been waiting for this birthday to come.