Pingree Grove 5K a runaway success
Pingree Grove sponsored yet another charity run Saturday - the Pingree Grove Harvest Classic - in which people ran to feed the hungry.
The 5K fun run and walk, organized by the Northern Kane Educational Corporation that oversees the Cambridge Lakes Charter School, took the 50 people who signed up for it through the Cambridge Lakes subdivision and along its bike path.
"We're hoping to build it next spring and shoot for 75 runners next time around," said Rob Herley, business development manager for NKEC and one of the run's organizers.
The crowd was quite diverse and included everyone from kids and older adults, to moms.
It drew people from all experience levels as well - there were people who had run numerous 5Ks before and others who had never run one before.
Because it was a fun run, organizers didn't officially keep track of who placed where.
The money raised - all $650 - and food will support the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Saturday's run marked the second race in Pingree Grove's history.
The first one, the Pingree Grove Global Run, occurred in May and that time, 30 people ran to support aspiring runners in Africa who don't have any shoes.
At the last minute, I decided to run this particular race and ran right into Pingree Grove Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey who was helping with its setup.
"I'm doing a story about you today," he joked.
And he had a good time turning the tables on me, asking me to give him a quote about the run and taking a post-race photo of me with his mobile.
He said he was going to post it on Facebook.
He was kidding.
I think.
I hope.
Run with a bunch: Do you love to run, but would rather run with a group instead of going solo?
If so, there are a few local running clubs in the area that I wanted to mention.
There's Meaney's Training Team, based in South Elgin that's open to men, women and children.
The group runs in races every week and trains at South Elgin Community United Methodist Church on Saturdays and at LA Fitness club on Sundays.
For more info, contact Nancy Meaney at meaneytraining@aol.com.
But if you live in and around Pingree Grove, the Pingree Grove Running Club is always looking for new people.
The year-round club meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at the Cambridge Lakes Community Center, then goes on 45-minute runs.
The club is open to adults of all running abilities.
For more information, call Drew Smith at (847) 464-0350.
There's also the Lifetime Running Club, based at Lifetime Fitness Center, in Algonquin, and it is open to all ages.
Members run at 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and on Saturdays at 6 a.m.
This is the same group that puts on the annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day that benefits the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Food Pantry.
For more information, contact Karie Stringer at (224) 623-2852.
Lenore Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Pingree Grove, McHenry County College, Cary and Fox River Grove. To reach her, call (847) 608-2725.