Running for their lives
In the end, it’s simple.
They run for those who can’t.
Saturday will mark the 26th annual St. Jude LaSalle/Peru run, in which 60 normally otherwise sane people will face the heat, humidity and traffic to run and shake cans to collect money and hope for some sick children.
The St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Run began in 1982 as a way to raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. But because not everyone could participate in the Memphis to Peoria Run, auxiliary runs were started from communities throughout Illinois and Missouri.
In 1985, Chris Christian and the Starved Rock Runners Club began the LaSalle/Peru to Peoria leg of the race. Christian died in June 2003, and the run is now under the direction of Lori and Lou Guerrini of Spring Valley, and Randy and Erica Pratt of Hennepin.
Lori Guerrini has been a part of all but one of the runs, and she has seen an explosion of interest over the years.
“When we started this so many years ago, we probably had 15 people total, so when you weren’t running, you were driving to the next town or shaking cans,” she said. “We’ve really grown over the years.”
This year’s group will include about 30 runners and 30 support people, with more than half from Bureau County. The group contains a couple of first time runners, which Guerrini said is always a good thing.
“Some of the older runners, like myself, have been there for so long, and it’s nice to get young people involved and interested,” she said. “Hopefully they’ll get hooked as most runners do, because once they get involved with this, they’re hooked for life because it’s such a worthwhile cause.”
As usual, the run will begin at the Peru Mall. Runners will then head into Bureau County and Spring Valley before heading south into Putnam County over the Route 89 bridge. Vehicles accompany the runners, both to transport volunteers who collect money as the group runs past and to give the runners a chance to catch their breath.
Runners run three-mile long segments for the entire 66 miles of the trip, and some runners have logged 30 miles over the day.
“Some may run back to back, but not too many do that,” she said. “They might skip a leg and then join up later in the day.”
Guerrini said the bottom line of the event is all about raising money for the children.
“Chris (Christian) himself was a cancer survivor and a school teacher and saw how special this event was,” she said. “Almost every year there’s somebody from Bureau County or LaSalle/Peru that knows of somebody who’s a patient, and they’ve seen firsthand the benefits of the money raised.”
Guerrini said she has visited the St. Jude Hospital and found it “incredible.”
“It’s just amazing what they do and how special that place is, not only for the children, but for their families,” she said.
The LaSalle/Peru run has raised more than $620,000 over the 25 years, and Guerrini said the money has been well spent.
“When I started running so many years ago, the survival rate was only 4 percent for a certain kind of leukemia,” she said. “Now it’s up to 94 percent.”
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