Top charity runner nets $5,000 for Naperville hospital
The Edward Foundation set the bar high for its charity runners in the third annual Healthy Driven Naperville Marathon, but the team's top fundraiser exceeded it - 10 times over.
Kristine Warnes of Naperville raised $5,096 for the charity that supports Edward Hospital as she completed the half marathon Nov. 8.
"I was originally going to raise $500, (but) people are so generous," said Warnes, a 40-year-old nurse practitioner for Edward Medical Group. "It was amazing."
Warnes was the top donor among 14 charity runners who pledged to support the Edward Foundation in exchange for cheaper admission into the half or full marathon sponsored by the hospital. She was one of 400 charity runners who raised a total of $241,000 for 27 charities, Race Director Craig Bixler said.
Every fundraiser had a different strategy, but Warnes' emotional connection to the hospital helped her cause.
Her twin sons were born at Edward Hospital in 2005, but one of them, Jack, needed two surgeries within 48 hours and spent two weeks in Edward's neonatal intensive care unit. This summer, Jack had surgery in Ohio - his 10th to help correct a birth defect called VATER syndrome, which affects the vertebrae, anus, kidneys and the connection between the windpipe and the esophagus.
"He's doing great," his mother said. "He's pretty much like any other kid."
But the milestone of Jack's 10th surgery in 10 years motivated Warnes to give back to the place where his journey began.
"Being a parent of a child with chronic health care needs and working for Edward provides me with a daily reminder of families like my own that live with health care challenges," she wrote in her fundraising message. "Thankfully, Edward has been there to support Jack and the surrounding families in our community."
Meghan Moreno, executive director of the Edward Foundation, said the charity runners generated $10,511 for the nonprofit.
"A lot of people come to us and say, 'You've saved my life or a family member's life - how can I give back or how can I help?'"
Warnes chose to give back by running, as she's done consistently since her first Chicago Marathon in 1999. She and her sister finished the notorious 2013 Boston Marathon, getting about 400 yards past the finish line before the bombs planted by attackers exploded.
The donations will support several hospital initiatives, including the $800,000 campaign to expand the busy Edward Cancer Center, which sees 56,000 visits a year. Other initiatives are buying medical equipment and funding scholarships for nurses and volunteers, Moreno said.