Nearly 100 runners and walkers turned out for the sixth annual North Suburban YMCA Healthy Kids Day 5K Run/Walk on May 13 in Northbrook.
Saturday morning’s weather was overcast at 56 degrees at 2705 Techny Road for the bib chip timed race.
“Our race isn’t the biggest or fanciest, but the Y meets people where they are at and inclusivity with our activities is very important to us,” said Kathy Fielding, CEO of the NSYMCA. “You don’t have to be a 5K running professional to be part of our race, we believe everyone should participate regardless of your skill level or age.
“We welcome runners, people who have never run before, walkers, families, seniors, people with disabilities and also people with pets,” Fielding said.
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“We just want to educate the community on being active which means getting them moving at whatever pace works and the Y is here to celebrate it.”
Fielding sees the event, “as an opportunity to bring families and neighbors together to make health awareness important in our community.
“Any additional dollars raised does help with our mission work to build a strong community.”
Megan Vazquez, senior director of wellness and race organizer, said, “The Healthy Kids Day is a national initiative to improve the health and well-being of parents and children,” with Vazquez also adding the event, “allows the NSYMCA to bring all of the communities we support together to build and strengthen relationships through joyful and fun movement.”
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-10th) was honorary race starter, sounding the horn to launch the 8 a.m. 5K start.
“It’s a perfect day for a run and it’s a perfect day to support healthy kids going out, exercising, being together and just living healthy lives,” Schneider said.
“And this is a great thing for today, but this is what the Y is about every single day, bringing families and children and their parents and grandparents together, providing opportunities for exercise and active living, and just creating healthy communities,” Schneider said.
Siblings Nicole Milan of Northbrook and Tylee Milan of Los Angeles, California were accompanied by their mother Carol Milan of Northbrook and family pup Bodie, 11, a male chug chihuahua and pug mixed breed.
“It’s just fun to keep getting myself back in shape and pushing myself,” Nicole Milan said.
NSYMCA members Spencer Gillis and Bridget Riley-Gillis of Glenview participated with their children Eleanor Gillis, 9, a third-grader, and Henry Gillis, 11, a fifth-grader.
Henry, an avid runner, was the second person to cross the finish line with a time of 22:42.
About the NSYMCA, “We love it, our kids go to the summer camp here,” Riley-Gillis said.
Spencer Gillis, who enjoys spinning and swimming, said the NSYMCA offers, “more of a sense of community,” with, “a more diverse group of people.
“You’ve got all walks of life, all ages and it definitely just has a different vibe than a for-profit gym,” Gillis added.
Will Labowitz, 12, a seventh-grader of Glencoe, was here with parents David and Sara Labowitz and twin siblings Stella and Max, 9, for his bar mitzvah project. May 13 was the family’s second race as a family.
Will, who pursues track and cross country, will have his bar mitzvah at the end of May.
“He loves to run,” Sara Labowitz said about Will. “And we partnered with an organization called Ignite in the city (of Chicago) which helps homeless youth and so Will is running and he’s raising money for Ignite (https://www.ignitepromise.org/).
“We were happy to find a local race.”
David Labowitz said about his son, “Crime and lack of opportunity have really impacted the city and for William to take up a cause to better the world around him, specifically helping his local community and local city, I think, is huge and hopefully, this can inspire others and help others.”
Will has raised about $2,000 to provide 28 at-risk youth recipients with items used for running such as socks, headphones and water bottles.
“We’re going to be giving them packages with shoes,” said Will, whose family will visit Ignite in June.
“I wish to give a lot of other people the chance to be able to run and be able to be active using those shoes,” Will said. “It will take them basically to maybe their first job.
“Those shoes will take them everywhere.”
“He has a big heart,” Sara Labowitz said about Will. “I also think that exercise is good for mental health and just to get people moving is really a positive thing,” Will’s mother added.
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The first person to cross the finish line was NSYMCA member Jose Gonzalez of Northbrook.
The course’s running conditions were, “Fantastic, fantastic track, fantastic volunteers, I mean, it’s a great event,” Gonzalez said, adding a benefit, “for us (was) to be able to support health and wellness in the community.
“We love our neighbors at the YMCA and everything they do to support that in our community,” Gonzalez said.
Visit https://www.nsymca.org.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.