Local Charity Hosting First Time 5k Family Run/Walk

Local charity Hope to Give is hoping people would like to walk for a cause.

The organization is hosting its first 5k Family Walk/Run event on Sunday, October 21 to raise money for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago.

Oswego resident Kristen Jednachowski, one of the founders of Hope to Give, said the organization’s main event every year is a golf outing.

“This year we decided to do a walk to make it a little more family friendly,” said Jednachowski. “We’re doing this for a children’s hospital, so it makes sense for the children to be able to participate.”

The run/walk kicks off and ends at Emerson Creek Pottery, 5126 Stephens Road, which Jednachowski said very generously donated their grounds and will be cooking the barbeque lunch following the event.

Registration is $30 for ages 13 and up, $15 per child (ages 6-12, 5 and under are free) and $75 for up to a family of four. All adult registrations will come with a free t-shirt. For registrations done the day of the run, there will be an additional $10 fee.

“Since this is our first year attempting a walk we’re keeping it a little smaller,” said Jednachowski. “We want to do it right and learn from it. And avoid chaos!”

Hope to Give does a golf outing every year and this year’s event, up at Pine Crest, brought it $12,000 for the organization to give to Children’s. Jednachowski said they are hoping to raise a couple thousand on the walk, but the biggest goal is to get family participation.

“We want to be able to have the kids get out there and give back to the community,” said Jednachowski. “My girls are very excited to be doing it. And this year it has more personal meaning to them.”

Hope to Give was created almost four years ago by Jednachowski and three friends as a way to give back to the community as they realized at the time how grateful we were to all have healthy children and wanted to help families that were not as fortunate.

Jednachowski’s twin daughters, 8, were diagnosed with several life-long conditions earlier this year and have been in and out of Children’s since January. “Their diagnosis gave me an even deeper appreciation and understanding of how many children need our help,” said Jednachowski.

In addition to the run/walk, there will be a barbeque following along with different events and possibly even a band. “We want to be able to include those who are interested in helping but perhaps weren’t able to make it on the walk,” said Jednachowski. The barbeque lunch will be available for purchase, but there will be free snacks to all run/walk participants.

For more information or to register, please visit the Hope to Give’s Walk/Run page.