WEST DUNDEE – There are numerous reasons why people walk: for exercise, to relax, for transportation (the most basic of reasons, of course), or, at 8 a.m. Saturday, September 25, at St. Catherine of Sienna in West Dundee, people will walk for the poor.
More than 300 walkers turned out for last year’s Friends of the Poor Walk 2009. (Photo provided)
Sponsored by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, The Third Annual Friends of the Poor Walk will raise money for poor individuals or families in the community. St Vincent de Paul conferences of St. Mary in Huntley, St. Margaret Mary in Algonquin, St. Peter & Paul in Cary, and St. Charles Borromeo in Hampshire, along with the conference of St. Catherine of Sienna, work together to host the annual event.
The Friends of the Poor Walk is a 5K walk with a route around the perimeter of Spring Hill Mall, and through a portion of the surrounding neighborhood, that ends at St. Catherine of Sienna. Registration opens at 7 a.m. on the day of the event, along with warm-up stretches and refreshments. After the walk, participants are encouraged to perform cool-down stretches and take advantage of chair massages.
“Our whole mission in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to help the poor,” said Friends of the Walk for the Poor committee member Jane McDonough, who attends church at St. Mary in Huntley. “That is why we exist.”
In the weeks preceding the walk, participants are required to earn monetary pledges in varying amounts that will be turned in during registration on walk day. There is no minimum dollar amount required, said McDonough.
What: 5K walk hosted by St. Vincent de Paul conferences from community churches to raise money for poor individuals and families in the community.
Where: St. Catherine of Sienna, located at 845 W Main St., West Dundee.
When: Saturday, September 25.
Registration: Opens 7 a.m. day of walk
Walk time: Starts at 8 a.m. (event concludes whereabouts 10:30 a.m.).
Pledges: Walkers must submit monetary pledges at time of registration to participate in walk. No minimum dollar amount.
More info: Call 847-658-5542
“All the money we make goes right back to the communities,” McDonough said. “We help anybody. We happen to be based out of St. Mary Church in Huntley, which is catholic, but we help anybody. [People] can call our hotline, and we don’t ask what religion they are, we just say what can we do to help.”
McDonough said that previous years’ walks have seen great turnout among walkers, with a count of more than 300 last year.
“It’s fun,” said McDonough. “It’s non-competitive, there’s no time limit.”
When walkers register, they are provided with a number that is turned in after the walk and put into a raffle bin, making the walkers “eligible for a ton of prizes” that were solicited from community businesses.
“We … make it a fun event, so there’s more than just doing the walking,” McDonough said. “We try to make it quite festive.”
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul helps economically struggling individuals of the community in a number of ways, including providing monetary funds to help pay bills or providing much-needed food from their food pantry.
“We’ve helped so many people,” McDonough said. “We try to give the resources … to help get them [poor individuals and families] out of their situation.”
McDonough said that at least three-quarters of the St. Mary in Huntley conference of St. Vincent de Paul is comprised of Sun City residents.
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