A longtime fundraising race in Long Grove that underwent a name change this year was well attended, according to organizers.
More than 600 runners came to Long Grove Saturday for the rebranded “Rotary Race for Charity,” which replaces the name of the 19-year-old “Long Grove Heritage Race.” The Rotary Club of Long Grove, Kildeer and Hawthorn Woods organizes the race to support various charities.
“We caught a break with the weather,” said Lyle Staab, who organizes the event for the club. “There was supposed to be thunderstorms, but all we got was little mist early in the morning. It was great for the runners.”
Starting and finishing at Kildeer Countryside School, the race benefited nine charities this year. The annual event has raised about $1.3 million in its history, Staab said.
But the time had come for a name change, so more nonprofit groups and runners would understand the intent of the race, Staab said.
“We wanted to more clearly represent what we were trying to accomplish,” Staab said.
One of this year’s new participants was the Riverside Foundation, which serves adults with developmental disabilities in Lincolnshire.
More Top Picks Planter Boxe
Executive director Doborah Rogers said they had been thinking about starting their own fundraising race but decided on the Rotary event after hearing about it.
The decision allowed them to support other local groups and save them time needed to organize the logistics of their own race, Rogers said.
“Someone else is blocking off the roads,” Rogers said. “Since we had wanted to do this, we thought, ‘Well, let’s give this a try.’ We don’t have any plans right now to do our own run, but we thought this would be a great way to learn.”
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer