Members of Team World Vision will again participate in the annual Chicago Marathon to raise money for children and families in need.

September 20, 2007

By James Addis, World Vision Advocacy & Communications

More than 500 runners will don World Vision colors to participate in the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Marathon, to be held on Oct. 7. Their challenge will be to complete the 26.2-mile course and collectively raise $500,000 for AIDS-devastated and impoverished communities in Africa.

Each participating runner signed up for the Team World Vision program, which allows runners to create personal Web sites where family and friends can pledge their financial support.

'Step Out in Faith'

Team World Vision coordinator Michael Chitwood said between 60 and 70 percent of the Team World Vision participants have no running experience and never imagined they could run a marathon before.

"We tell them you can do it on behalf of the children in Africa, and that seems to give them the inspiration they need to step out in faith and try it," he says.

Chitwood says support came from various sources, including churches in Chicago, California, and Texas, who had put together teams of 20 or more runners.

Local radio personalities Michelle Strombeck and Roy Patterson from the Moody Broadcasting Network (90.1 FM WMBI in Chicago) also volunteered to participate and persuaded more than 80 of their listeners to join them.

Contributing to Causes of Compassion

Money raised from the marathon will support a World Vision clinic in Zambia that specializes in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Funds will also support a program to combat malnutrition among mothers and their children in Ethiopia.

It's the second time Team World Vision runners have attempted the Chicago Marathon as a large group. Last year, about 100 runners raised $150,000 for an AIDS-affected community in Ethiopia. Achieving the sum inspired participants to strive for a goal more than triple that amount this year.

Chitwood believes that the fundraising potential of the marathon is only just beginning to be realized. He expects hundreds more runners to participate in 2008.