Good News Sunday: A 91-year-old Schaumburg runner won best in his class at Shamrock Shuffle

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

As a runner, Iggy Cascio is nearly in a class by himself.

Competing in Sunday's 42nd running of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, a simultaneous celebration of St. Patrick's Day and kickoff to the outdoor running season in Chicago, the 91-year-old Schaumburg resident finished tops among the two men age 90 and older competing in the 8K run. The oldest runner in the race, Cascio crossed the finish line with a time of 1:19:50, four minutes ahead of his competition, Robert Janus.

“I went steady all the way,” he said, adding that toward the end of the race, “I had some old-timers that were running and checking me out.”

One runner yelled at him, “How old are you?”

“I says, ‘How old are you?' And I thought this guy was in my bracket, because he really looked 90 and older. He says, ‘I'm 77.'”

Running has been Cascio's passion since he was a physical training instructor in the Air Force in Europe during the Korean War. “If you love something, you never get tired,” he said.

For the full story, click here.

Volunteers pack meals during Ramadan for the hungry across the globe

Dozens of volunteers recently helped pack meals at The Mecca Center in Willowbrook for people starving globally during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast daily from dawn to dusk.

Islamic Relief USA, a nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization, sponsored the event where volunteers packed 35,000 nutritious meals.

“Everyone in this room is fasting while they are packing these meals,” said Wsmah Siddiqui, senior volunteer engagement specialist for Islamic Relief's Midwest region.

“We normally (get) 60 to 100 volunteers. It is great that 130 volunteers came out.”

The meal bags contain rice, beans, dried vegetables, soy and vitamin packs. Each bag serves six people and has a shelf life of two years.

“These meals are going to be shipped internationally to either orphanages, schools or hospitals,” Siddiqui said. “They go to people who are malnourished, who have not had a meal in a long time. Most of these meals end up going to countries in Africa.”

For the full story, click here.

Mundelein police to donate 28 bicycles to charitable group

Instead of selling more than two dozen unclaimed bicycles at auction for a relative pittance, Mundelein police are going to donate them to a nonprofit group that will give them to people who are poor or experiencing other hardships.

The village board recently approved the plan to give the two-wheelers to Working Bikes, an organization based in a warehouse and shop at 2434 S. Western Ave. in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood.

The police department has 28 unclaimed bicycles, police Chief John Monahan said in a memo. The department has sold bicycles at auction in the past, typically getting between $1 and $35 per bike, he said.

The last auction netted the department less than $232 for 27 bikes, Monahan said. Searching for an alternative, police learned many area departments donate unclaimed bicycles to charities. That led police to Working Bikes.

Since its inception in 1999, Working Bikes has given away an estimated 100,000 bicycles worldwide to people in need.

For the full story, click here.

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