Got2Run Saturday in Arlington Hts. raises money for wellness
The second annual “Got2Run … for Education” run/walk will take place on Saturday, May 18, in Arlington Heights. Organizers are hoping to build on the success of the tremendously popular community event they launched last year.
The inaugural race attracted nearly 800 runners and raised more than $10,000 for wellness programs at local schools. This year’s event already has received an outpouring of support — including a large volunteer team and many key sponsors.
There will be a 2.62-mile “micro-marathon” run/walk and an 8K (4.97-mile) run, both of which will begin and end at the southeast corner of Sigwalt and Arlington Heights Road in the municipal parking lot across from the Arlington Heights Village Hall. The races will go through the Scarsdale and Scarsdale Estates neighborhoods. Details and online registration are at got2run.org.
Participants can select which school or education foundation will benefit. At least $5 will be donated per participant for activities that encourage student wellness.
“Last year, we were able to donate $13.20 for each runner or walker,” says founder and race director Jeff Chamberlin, a father of a Mount Prospect Elementary District 57 student and Prospect High School student. “The funds raised were distributed to 98 different schools in 62 towns.”
The community has rallied around this second-time event. “We think we’ll have another great turnout and be able to help a lot of schools,” he says. “And we’re so thankful to the many volunteers who are helping make the event happen and to the businesses that have signed on as sponsors.”
In 2011, Chamberlin and other Mount Prospect parents started a running club, Northwest Road Runners, to organize the run/walk to benefit local schools. The mission is to encourage kids and their parents that running is a healthy lifestyle choice, while also bringing the community together to support wellness efforts at schools.
The registration fee is $20 for students under age 19. The cost for adults is $30. Participants receive a T-shirt, backpack zipper pull, bumper sticker, refreshments at the finish line and awards for the top three finishers for each race in each age group.
The website includes a mail-in registration option, course maps, age groupings, packet pickup information, a training page, and information about being a sponsor or volunteer.