Arlington Hts. run for Congolese women ... at 1 a.m.

Running to show solidarity with Congolese women is one thing. Doing it at 1 a.m. in February is quite another.

Tracy Ronzio decided she and other supporters should gather just after midnight Sunday morning at her Arlington Heights home and run a mile at 1 a.m. because that's when a group of women will be running in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ronzio expects about 20 to 25 people. She'll serve hot drinks and show videos about the women of the Congo before everyone runs or walks, in the area near Arlington Heights Road and Thomas Street.

"Women and children are tools of war," said the mother of two. "It's been really great hearing their stories and learning how similar we really are. They want the same things that my friends and I want, what's best for our kids - a good education and a safe home."

Sunday morning's event is cyclical because 75 women in the Congo will run at the same time to show their appreciation for women around the world like Ronzio, who each fall organizes a 5K fundraising run in Chicago.

That annual event has turned into a festival where women from the Congo show off their food, crafts and culture.

Ronzio likes to keep her message nonpolitical, but the 12-year war is fueled by the vast natural resources of the country. One of the abundant minerals is coltan, which is used in cell phones. While many countries have been involved directly in the conflict, she puts some blame on Western corporations because they enjoy the low prices for the raw materials available in the Congo.

Her sources put deaths from the conflict at more than 5 million, with nearly half of the victims under the age of 5. Atrocities are reported, and most of the deaths are from malnutrition and disease.

Ronzio and a handful of women around the country were inspired to start fundraising runs after seeing stories about these African women on the Oprah Winfrey Show about seven years ago. Another of these organizers, Lisa Shannon of Oregon, is in Africa now to gather stories.

Any money this group raises goes to Women for Women International, which uses it in the Congo to give traumatized women the essentials of life, then educates them and finally loans them money to start small businesses.

Ronzio believes that strengthening individual Congolese women will lead to stronger villages and eventually save the country.

There will be about a dozen solidarity runs around the world this weekend, said Ronzio. The Arlington Heights event is not a fundraiser, but donations are always accepted at womenforwomen.org.

Anyone interested in participating can call or email Ronzio at (224) 234-4718 or tracyronzio@wowway.com.

Ronzio thinks that by standing up for something she is giving her children good lessons, even if sometimes they miss a detail or two.

Her daughter, Bella, now 6, once said: "Mommy, I love how you help the women of Costco."