“I love the vibe of Race Day:” Team Red Cross runner laces up for Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon day is my favorite day of the year. There’s truly nothing like it! This year’s marathon will be my 8th overall and my 6th Chicago Marathon. I keep coming back year after year because I absolutely love the vibe of race day and the energy of the crowds on the course.

I run for Team Red Cross because I believe in the work they do around the world. Whenever there is a need for help, the Red Cross is always among the first to respond.  It’s great to see that the money I raise is going to help those who need it the most.

At the end of July, I was struck with a stress fracture in my shin. It seemed to come out of nowhere but it left me unable to do high impact exercises for almost two months. In the meantime, I have been trying to keep up my fitness by going to spinning classes and strength training. Thankfully, my leg is better now. Just in time for race day!

The night before the race, I like to relax at home with a viewing of “Run, Fatboy, Run.”  Definitely a running classic!  On race day, I have a couple of friends who live along the course so I always look forward to seeing them when I pass by. The faces I most look forward to seeing, though, are those of my boyfriend and his son, who always come to see me around mile 24. Seeing their smiling faces is just the boost I need to make it to the finish.

Andrea Hamilos of Chicago is one of 80 members of  Team Red Cross athletes running the 2016 Bank of Chicago Marathon. Want to run for a good cause? Those who missed the registration for this year’s marathon can sign up for next year to run with Team Red Cross. Registration opens Oct. 10, 2016 and includes a guaranteed entry to the 2017 race. Email stephanie.patton@redcross.org for more information.

Why I Run for Team Red Cross

I remember the exact spot I was standing when I checked my phone on July 20, 2015 and read the text: “headed to Lake Forest ER, please pray.” Right then I knew something big was happening; change was coming, but I had no idea what an impact it was going to have on my life. I drove right from work to the hospital.

Stage 4 cancer. You could physically feel the ache in the room. My grandma, the center of our entire family was diagnosed with the unimaginable. For 17 weeks we watched the brave woman we knew battle this unrelenting disease. Throughout the entire process, I was in denial—this wasn’t happening, she would beat this, it’s not that bad. But it was bad. I watched the strongest person I know, become physically, emotionally, and spiritually weak.

My cousin Nolan, a US Marine, left three days before we found out about the diagnosis for Okinawa, Japan, where he would be stationed for the next two years. Every day, my grandma would open her iPad and say to the picture of my cousin on the screen saying, “Hi Nollie, I hope I can see you just one more time.” Her one, final wish was to have all her family together just one more time.

The American Red Cross made that wish a reality. My aunt and uncle contacted the Red Cross on Friday, Nov. 20, to explain the situation hoping to set up a time within the next several weeks to get Nolan back to the United States. Instantly they got a response that Nolan would be on a plane the next Monday and would land in Chicago on Tuesday.

On Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, we rushed my grandma to the ER once again where she would leave hours later; sent home on Hospice for her final days. Nolan landed the next day reuniting with my grandma and my entire family. That day was the best she looked in months.

Then she began slipping away from us, beginning her journey to heaven. Those days are the best and worst days of my life. The best, in the sense that I have never felt such a strong, united bond with my family. We laughed together, we shared stories of the past, we cried, we sang, and we prayed. On Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, at 6:50 a.m. my grandma left her weak, diseased body and entered the Kingdom of God.

There are no words I could ever say to express the gratitude I have for the American Red Cross. They gave my family a priceless gift that truly is irreplaceable.

This year I have the honor and privilege to run the 2016 Chicago Marathon with my mother and best friend. I am excited and somewhat nervous to push my body both physically and mentally beyond anything I have ever done.

I am not doing this for myself, but in hopes to give back to an organization that helped me and my family in our darkest time.

Runners who are interested in participating in the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon can join Team Red Cross, the official race team of the American Red Cross. General registration for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9 is closed, but limited spots are still available through charity partners like the Red Cross until Sept. 15. Team members pledge to raise at least $1,500 to support Red Cross humanitarian programs and services. Register to join Team Red Cross online or email stephanie.patton@redcross.org. For more information about Team Red Cross click here.

Janelle Johnson, 25, of Lake Bluff, Illinois is a first-time marathon runner and member of Team Red Cross running in the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9.

For Team Red Cross Runners: the Choice Goes Beyond the Finish Line

(Chicago, IL) – When a Chicago Marathon runner signs up to run with Team Red Cross, they pledge not only their determination and skill, but also the promise of raising $1,500 to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross.

Runner John Alegnani from Louisville, Kentucky is no stranger to this promise: this is his third Chicago Marathon running for Team Red Cross. “When people decide to run (the Chicago Marathon), they often have a personal connection to the team they choose. I chose the Red Cross because they help so many people in need across the globe, that’s what keeps me coming back.”

131 runners crossed the finish line this year for Team Red Cross: the biggest number yet since the team was formed in 2007. Combined, over $200,000 was raised by our runners to benefit American Red Cross programs and services throughout Chicago and Northern Illinois: such as veteran assistance, reconnecting families, and home fire preparedness.

For first time Chicago Marathon runners Tim Hotchandani of New York City and Paola Buitrago of Colombia, South America, the choice to run with Team Red Cross was personal.

Tim, a healthcare investment banker was the  first Team Red Cross runner to cross the finish line  at 2:55.30. “I wanted to match the professional with the personal,” for his first Chicago Marathon, he said.

Paola has followed the work of the Red Cross since moving to the Chicagoland area a year and a half ago, “Many of my friends in Colombia are volunteers with the International Federation of the Red Cross . When I moved to Chicago, many of my friends here are volunteers with the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois. So it was amazing to pick an organization to run with that everyone I know is already familiar with.”

An official charity partner with the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the Red Cross is proud to bring together runners of all ages and abilities since 2007 in support of the  its mission. If you or someone you know is interested in running the Chicago Marathon in 2016 with Team Red Cross, visit RedCross.org/chicagomarathon for details and sign up information.

For more photos of Team Red Cross at the Chicago Marathon:

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagoredcross/albums/72157659284238510/with/21916361809/

Story by Alexandra Sobczak, Public Affairs Volunteer, American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois 

Photos by Danny Diaz, American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois Volunteer  

From Albania to Chicago: Why Senada Greca Chose Team Red Cross

Senada after finishing The 2013 New York Marathon.

Although this is Senada Greca’s first time running for Team Red Cross, she has a long history with the organization.

Senada is originally from Albania where she lived during the Kosovo War in 1998-1999. She experienced firsthand the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross when thousands of Kosovan refugees came to her country.

Senada, who was in high school at the time, remembers volunteering at the Red Cross refugee shelters after school. She would visit with the refugees, many of whom were hospitalized, and helped provide food and clothing. Her family and some of her neighbors even welcomed refugees to stay with them in their homes. She and her family moved back to the United States in 1999 where she has remained since.

Senada is a serious marathoner and has competed in two other marathons in New York and New Hampshire. This is her first time running in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the first time visiting the city. Her training involves waking up at 5 a.m. and running 5-6 days a week to accomplish her goal of a 3:30 time or less in order to qualify for the Boston marathon.

But another important goal for Senada is raising money for an organization that has made such an impact in her life. “The Red Cross has influence in so many parts of the world. You can be assured that no matter how small the country or political influence, they will make an impact,” she said.

Senada has witnessed aspects of the Red Cross mission that many of us only hear about and her experiences have substantiated that this is a mission worth running for. Join Senada in running for Team Red Cross by registering here: http://rdcrss.org/18BPi6K.

Written by Kamryn McPike