Posted: September 24, 2007

Athletics: Counting Down To The 30th Anniversary Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Jon and Jenn Gregory simply want to make a difference in the world. In their debut marathon, they will attain that goal by raising funds for Sudan citizens through LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon charity partner Global Business Assist. By securing sponsors for each of their steps to complete the 26.2 mile course, Jon and Jenn plan to raise $93,000 on race day. WHO: Jon and Jenn Gregory AGE: Jenn, 35 Jon, 37 OCCUPATION: Jenn, stay at home mom; Jon, high school principal PREVIOUS MARATHONS: Debut HOMETOWN: Rockford, Michigan RUNNER STORY: Jon and Jenn Gregory have never participated in a marathon. They intend to make their first appearance in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon with a very special goal in mind: to help poverty-stricken families in Sudan. With the support from Global Business Assist (GBA), one of 85 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon charity partners, they are hoping to raise awareness for their cause as well as generate money to fund special programs. Their inspiration comes partly from being active in their local Sudanese community and partly from their desire to make a change in the world. While many people see changing the world as an overwhelming and likely impossible task, Jon and Jenn see it as a challenge for success. They wanted to discover a way for individuals to reasonably contribute to a cause that would generate substantial results. When they came across GBA, they knew they were half way there. GBA is known for its efforts to provide economic assistance to Sudan with the goal of reducing poverty and suffering among its population. Jon and Jenn aligned themselves with GBA and quickly became an integral part of the “Sudan Challenge.” From there, all they needed was to organize their ideas to ensure their goals would be met. They did the research on the marathon and found the results they were seeking. After running the numbers, they estimated it would take each of them 46,000 steps to complete the 26.2 mile race. They moved onto the next phase and set the bar at $1.00 per step. If they could find donors to sponsor each step Jon and Jenn would take, they would be able to raise $93,000 for GBA. They now look forward to meeting all of their goals. Between meetings, sending out flyers, collecting donations, and their daily work routines, they still manage to find time to train for the race. They wish to meet their goals associated with the charity and simultaneously look forward to being part of such an amazing event. They are eager to be surrounded by a mass of people also seeking to achieve a variety of different personal goals. They hope to spread their message that, “one person, one step at a time can and will change our world.” WEB SITE: www.stepwithme.com; www.gba.org. RACE INFORMATION: The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday, October 7, 2007 as 45,000 participants advance to the start line, embarking on the culmination of 45,000 personal journeys. Along with the massive field of recreational runners, the 26.2-mile course will welcome a full field of world renowned professional athletes drawn to the flat, fast, urban setting and the potential to break world and national records. The professionals will compete for prize money and points in the World Marathon Majors series which will crown its first male and female champions with $500,000 each at the close of 2007. Since the inception of its charity program in 2002, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has generated more than $27.5 million for a variety of charitable causes including $9.5 million in the 2006 event alone. Registration for the race opened on January 1, 2007 and closed when it reached capacity on April 18. The Gregory’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest