Few people dream of a wet Christmas, yet despite steady rain, hundreds of joggers hit the street last weekend to help make Christmas a little simpler for people fighting cancer.

In its second season, the Christmas Without Malignancy 5K Run/Walk in Evergreen Park drew runners coming from across the country. Many were there to aid someone they know that is battling malignancy. In all, the race drew more than four hundred runners and raised more than $11, 000.

“They’ve helped my father-in-law a lot, ” said Mike Paprocki, of Chicago.

His father-in-law, Ruben Torpy, is usually battling brain cancer. Torpy, 56, of Chicago, was present pertaining to the start of the race and was touched to see a number of about 30 runners and walkers — Team Torpy — turn out to show their particular support.

“It meant a lot to him to find out so much support, ” Paprocki said.

Christmas Without Malignancy has been helping families dealing with cancer since 2003. This past year alone, the group helped 370 households by giving gift cards to help cover the cost of gasoline, groceries and other expenses. The group makes an additional work to help households at Christmas.

“I’ve seen the struggles families possess, ” said Gerri Neylon, an oncology nurse at Oak Lawn’s Advocate Christ Medical Center who also founded the nonprofit. “There’s always a loss of salary. I decided I was going to help. ”
The Evergreen Park woman’s wish to help was contagious, and the organization maintains getting “bigger and bigger, ” this lady said.

Households who have been helped by the business often find a way to give again.

Christina McCann, of Seattle, and her cousin Jacob McCann, of Baltimore, came in for a family members gathering and stayed to run for their cousin Erin McCann, who is fighting ovarian malignancy. Like Torpy’s family, the McCanns had a sizable number of family and friends to show support pertaining to Erin, who also also has been helped by Christmas Without Malignancy. Many in the family dressed in Christmas outfits — some dressed since elves, others donned Santa T-shirts.

“It’s about becoming together, having a good time and having her again no matter what, ” Christina McCann said after the wet run.

Erin McCann organized the group of joggers as a way to give back to Christmas Without Malignancy, which helped her family members last year whilst she was in the hospital.

“I feel supported and happy that this many people arrived on a rainy day, inches the Lemont woman explained. “It just simply makes myself really completely happy. ”

Nonetheless others with the 5K weren’t running for any person specifically, these people were happy to ensure that the cause.

“We love Holiday and when heard about the source, it’s superb knowing it assists families, inches said Jerr Coelho, a great assistant california’s attorney while using the Cook State state’s lawyer’s office. “It was a tricky race presented the rainwater, but everybody seemed to benefit from them. inches