Raise money - and make money - at mile run in St. Charles
Because it was her idea, Shelley Simmering says she'll take "the glory and the blame" that will come with St. Charles staging the first-ever 1-mile run in the Chicago area on Memorial Day.
Simmering helps athletes with foot woes by making sure their shoes fit in her role as a board-certified pedorthist who operates Foot Mechanics at 303 N. Second St.
It made her the perfect fit to research the Medtronics Mile race in Minneapolis and forge the idea to present the Foot Mechanics Memorial Day Main Street Mile at 8 a.m. May 31 along Main Street in downtown St. Charles.
"The organizers of the race in Minneapolis just convinced me what a wonderful asset an event like this is for the community," Simmering said. "It is just a great way to have a race that everyone can be involved in - young, old, first-timers and elite runners."
Simmering said the Minneapolis race has grown immensely over the years and draws nearly 4,000 runners. She knows that the St. Charles race won't be that big on a first try - but it has an incentive to attract top-flight runners with a "time bounty" of $5,000 to the first male to break 4 minutes and the first female to break a 4:30 mile.
"I am providing the funds for those prizes, and I would like nothing more than to see that happen," Simmering said. "This is more than just a fun run, because there will be some elite runners."
While the event will be great for spectators, it also will raise funds for two charities - Feet in Need, an organization that provides shoes to children in Africa; and Salute, Inc., which helps veterans and their families dealing with financial, physical or emotional needs.
Runners from across the country are expected, as well as several local runners. One elite runner who will be on hand to sign posters and serve as the event's official spokesperson will be former St. Charles East standout Tera Moody. If she can shake a current injury, Moody, a state champion in the mile in 1998 and 1999, may even run in the event.
Foot Mechanics is the main sponsor of the May 31 event, along with help from Dick Pond, New Balance and other businesses.
The Arcada Theater is getting in on the action, showing movies with "running" themes that day, and will also be the site of the awards ceremony.
Runners will find out that Main Street isn't a flat course. The run will start at 14th Street and end at the doors of the Arcada.
"Some of the race will be on that little rise (just past Thompson Middle School) and then it is all downhill to the end," Simmering said.
Runners can sign up for the event, which has a $25 entry fee, at the onemilerace.com website.
Knows the SCORE: I had to ask counselor Lee McFadden of the Fox Valley SCORE group this question:
"How will you be able to tell if the economy is really recovering?"
I figured it was a good question to ask of an organization that has been offering free advice to startup and existing small businesses for several decades.
"It will be getting better when we send clients to banks, and the banks will actually talk to them," McFadden said. "As it is, right now, we have to explain the hard realities to our clients."
McFadden said SCORE counselors have worked on both sides of the economic sliding scale.
"In good times, we are usually talking to clients about growth issues," he said. "In bad times, we are talking about survival issues.
"Obviously, the growth issues are more fun."
Jewels for canine cause: Anderson Animal Shelter is banking on the likelihood that many women have jewelry boxes that include pieces that have not been worn in years.
The nonprofit shelter would like to see those pieces donated for its annual Jewelry Faire at Geneva's Festival of the Vine Sept. 11 and 12.
Donations for this fundraiser can be brought to the shelter in a sealed envelope addressed to the attention of Belynda Hudspeth. Questions also can be directed to Belynda at (630) 584-2855 or judsp1697@aol.com.
The shelter is located at 1000 S. La Fox (Route 31) in South Elgin.
There also are drop boxes available at Pawfection in South Elgin; St. Charles Veterinary Clinic on Dunham Road; The Gold Mine in downtown St Charles; and The Perfect Pup in Foxboro Plaza in St. Charles.
When Marines meet: Apparently, Marine Cpl. Phil Akins of St. Charles got a bonus out of his pleasant visit with World War II veteran William Faulkner at Delnor Glen.
Faulkner recently was featured in a Daily Herald story about his action as a young Marine on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima.
Akins, who recently returned home from his tour of duty in Iraq and is finishing his criminal justice studies at Elgin Community College, exchanged many stories with Faulkner.
He later learned that Faulkner, whose son is a police chief in Phoenix, Ariz., told his son about Phil's desire to be in law enforcement - and he arranged for Akins to contact his son about a job.
It again illustrated why it has been important to remember Mr. Faulkner, and how deserving he was of a story related to the anniversary of the battle at Iwo Jima.
Our thanks also go out to Faulkner's good friend, Dudley Burgess of Geneva, who originally reminded us that a story about this World War II veteran would be timely.
dheun@sbcglobal.net