
Hello friends and family,
Over the years, my thousands of miles of running have taken me across mountain ranges, to multiple foreign countries and across many finish lines. Now I am taking on a more meaningful and personal challenge. I'll be running the Chicago Marathon on October 12, 2025 to raise money for the American Heart Association.
My dad, Jim, has struggled with heart issues for as long as I can remember. Heart attacks, bypasses, you name it. If you want to know where I get my perseverance, look to him. Despite all of it, his commitment to good health and his general stubbornness to not get kicked down, means he will turn 86 years old on March 4. However, it's been a tough year. An angioplasty, relentless A-fib, Covid, several hospitalizations, 24-hour/day oxygen and multiple new medications have tested my dad, and really all of us. For someone who embraces activity, adventure and travel, it's not easy to be limited physically and there is the emotional toll as well.
I'm here for my dad, but I can't cure him of congestive heart failure. Running the Chicago Marathon for AHA and raising money to fund scientific research and help people impacted by heart disease and stroke is something I can do on a broader scale. Couple that mission with my family's ties to Chicago (my mom and dad settled there in 1966 and voila! I was born there in 1967) and you can see why this is such a meaningful goal for me.
Not gonna lie. I do not like asking people for money. Clearly this is not self-serving, but your opportunity to contribute to a cause that hits home for so many people. Maybe even someone in your family or circle of friends - maybe even you.
Thanks for your consideration and generosity. Here's hoping I can meet my fundraising goals and cross that finish line on October 12 after grinding it out over 26.2 miles in the Windy City.
Love,
Beth