75 Marathons in 75 Days!

Across the country tonight, audiences will be watching the inspirational story of a man who ran 75 marathons in 75 consecutive days!  A film crew taped Terry Hitchcock's 2,000 mile journey and will show it in theaters nationwide tonight (including several in Chicago) as part of a "one-night-only event" that will benefit the The Livestrong Foundation.

The film, My Run, details the reason Hitchcock decided to try and accomplish the impossible.  He lost is wife to breast cancer and then realized how difficult it was to be a single parent.  He wanted to bring attention to the struggles faced by single parent families, so he decided to run across the country. Check out the movie trailer below, and find a theater near you to see the movie tonight!

"I firmly believe human beings can accomplish anything they put their minds to.  All they need to get started is someone to show them it's possible."  -Terry Hitchcok

ABC Wants Inspiring Families!

Hey INSPIREme readers!  I got a wonderful phone call from someone with ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!  They're looking for inspiring families in the Chicago area to feature on the show and are hoping you guys can help find a deserving family!  

As INSPIREme readers, you guys read stories about inspiring people and families everyday.  I'm sure you know people in your own communities who are deserving of a new home and a fresh start, so tell me about them!

Here's what they're looking for: 

-people with amazing strength and character who never give up
-people who have made a big difference in other people's lives
-people who inspire others quietly and serve their communities on a daily basis
-people whose homes desperately need to be rebuilt, but don't have the time or resources to make repairs on their own 

Nominate a family in the comments section below and be sure to write your name and email address!  Make sure you share their story and why they're deserving of an extreme home makeover.  I'll contact the people with the best entries and forward them on to ABC for consideration!!!  

This is your chance, Chicago... let's show ABC how many great people we've got in our city and surrounding suburbs!

Yale Grad Back to Chicago

Photo from Chicago Tribune/Alex Garcia

A 22-year-old Yale student from the Chicago projects plans to move back to her hometown after graduation this May to help other kids in low income neighborhoods succeed.

The Chicago Tribune has a story highlighting Timeica Bethel.  As a child, she was raised by her grandmother because her Mom was addicted to drugs.  She lived in a neighborhood where violence, and drugs were the norm.  Despite all this, Bethel still managed to get into (and succeed at) an ivy league school.  

Now she wants to use her story to prove to other kids that hard work and determination can get them where they want to be. She'll be teaching through the "Teach for America" program.  Here's what she told the Tribune:

"I want to be the one to say, 'You think Yale is impossible, but it's not.'"

Check out the full story in The Chicago Tribune:  Timeica Bethel goes from Chicago's housing projects to Ivy League and back

Gift of Life

A Naperville mom is helping her friends in Texas spread word about the importance of organ donation.

Nicole Suchevits met Todd and Tara Storch 8 years ago when she lived in Texas.  Last year, The Storch Family lost their teenage daughter, Taylor, in a skiing accident.

Todd and Tara decided to donate Taylor's organs after she passed away, and she saved five lives.  Now, they promote organ donor awareness in Taylor's honor, through an organization they created called Taylor's Gift. 

Their friend in Naperville, Nicole Suchevits, is helping spread their message in her community.  She's holding a fundraiser for Taylor's Gift next month.

Taylor Storch

"As a Mom of three kids, and a friend of Taras, I wanted to bring the message here to Naperville," said Suchevits.  "Every single person is affected and touched by the tragic death of Taylor. There is not alot of education on Organ Donation, and many do not even know that over 100,000 are waiting for organs, and 18 die each day waiting. With education to our youth and adults, we can change this, and save lives."

 The Naperville fundraiser will be held on Saturday, April 16 at Meson Sabika.  Todd Storch will be there to tell his family's story.  Click here to find ticket and donation information.

The Storch Family has been on several national programs to spread their message and promote organ donation.  Take a look at some of the touching stories below.  It's so inspiring to see how brave they are to continuously share their heartbreaking story to help save lives!!

The emotional story featured on NBC below. Tara Storch meets the woman with Taylor's heart:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
 

Tara on The Ellen Degeneres Show earlier this month sharing a poem that Taylor wrote exactly a year ago: 

 

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A DONOR 

Naperville Fundraiser: 
Saturday, April 16
6:30-10:00 p.m.
Meson Sabika, Naperville
$75/pp


Buy Tickets Here

Wounded Warriors & Hawks

Photo from Facebook Group: USA Warriors Ice Hockey

The Chicago Blackhawks scrimmaged with the Wounded Warriors in Washington DC on Saturday! The warriors are all members of the US military who were wounded while fighting for our country.  Talk about inspiring-- check these guys out! 

Looking for Heroes

General Motors is running a new promotion looking for hometown heroes!  The company set up a website called Driving The Midwest to highlight people and groups who are "driving positive change" in their communities. 

Every two weeks, 5 finalists will be selected from Illinois and highlighted on the site. The first set of 5 "heroes" is currently online!  They're all from the Chicago area:

Teresa McClelland, Chicago, is a volunteer who trains first responders

Jennifer VanHoutan, Downers Grove, is a Mom fighting to keep two of her children alive

Mary Agnes Zellmer, Geneva, is an advocate for juvenile diabetes research

Joey Harman, Riverside, is a counselor who volunteers with the Red Cross and domestic violence agencies

Kelly O'Connor, Chicago is a school secretary who goes out of her way to help students and parents

Read more of their inspiring stories and vote for your favorite here.  The winner will get a new GM vehicle on loan for a week!

Every two weeks, GM will be looking for nominees.  If you know someone in your community who should be recognized, head online and nominate them.  If they win, you get a car for a week too!

Fabulous marketing by GM.  I'm sure they'll get lots of free advertising out of this! I don't mind giving them the shout out at all!  Anytime someone is sharing inspiring stories, I'm happy to spread the word:) 

Hope for a Cure

Photo: Mark Busch/MySuburbanLife

Students at Riverside Brookfield High School collected nearly $600 to help a little boy in their community. 

They invited 7-year-old Ethan Tkalec to their school and made him an honorary RB "Bulldog" for the day.  They also presented him with a check for Hannah's Hope Fund.  The organization is funding research to help find a cure for Ethan's terminal disease.  


Ethan suffers from a rare nerve disorder called GAN (Giant Axonal Neuropathy).  He's one of 15 children in the world who are participating in a research study about his disease.  

The students at Riverside Brookfield wanted to support a member of their community, so they chose to raise money in honor of Ethan.

Check out the full story at MySuburbanLife:  Giving a family hope 

You can also learn more about GAN and it's scary prognosis.  Currently, being diagnosed with GAN is essentially a death sentence.  The parents below started Hannah's Hope Fund after their daughter was diagnosed.  Because the disease is so rare, limited information was available.  They took matters into their own hands and decided to work for information and for a cure.   Watch their inspiring story:

Shaving it Off

More than a dozen teachers and students at Kenyon Woods Middle School in South Elgin shaved their heads yesterday to help fight cancer. 

This is the third year the school has held the fundraiser, but this year it was especially meaningful.  The 2-year-old niece of a science teacher at the school is being treated for leukemia.  The little girl, Alice, and her Mom were at the fundraiser.  Here's what her mom told TribLocal about the school's efforts:

“It’s amazing because the money for the research they do is why she has a 90 percent chance of making it.”

Alice and her Mom being recognized at the fundraiser (Melissa Jenco/TribLocal)

The school raised nearly $7,000 for The St. Baldrick's Foundation to help fund research to cure childhood cancers. 

Check out the full story at TribLocal: 'It's only hair,' says donors for cancer research

Opponent Over Self

Chicago News Cooperative Photo

Wow! I just read an amazingly inspiring story at the Chicago News Cooperative!

A 17-year-old senior at Belvidere North High School had to have his leg amputated after a freak accident during a wrestling match.  Instead of sitting around getting angry at his opponent and feeling sorry for himself, Eddie Avila is spending his time worrying about someone else.  He just wants to make sure his opponent is alright.  

During the wrestling match, Eddie's opponent made a legal take down. It just happened to cause a ruptured blood vessel that led to the amputation. Again... a freak accident.  Eddie knows that, so there were no lawsuits or angry words.  Eddie's only concern is to make sure his opponent realizes it wasn't his fault.  What an enlightening perspective for a young person who just lost a leg.  

You can read the full story by the Chicago News Cooperative here: After Amputation, Wrestler Tries to Ease Rival's Pain

Hike to Build a Hospital

Three Chicago men and one of their friends will spend the next 5 months hiking the Appalachian Trail for charity.  

Mike Healy, Erik Christensen, Christopher Mendrala and James Gower are hiking from Georgia to Maine with hopes of raising $25,000 to help the Mufindi Highlands Orphans Project fund a hospital in Tanzania.  Thousands of children there have lost parents due to the ongoing AIDS epidemic. 

The guys are all currently unemployed so they've been saving up their money to ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to the hospital fund.  Christensen spent about two years in Tanzania as a Peace Corps volunteer, so he knows first hand how much help the people there need.

Photo from the Mufindi Highlands Orphanage Project

You can follow the men on their inspiring journey online: A Hike to Build a Hospital.  They're posting humorous and entertaining updates from their hike including pictures, videos and blog posts. Head to their website to pledge a donation to the cause!

Honoring Women in Chicago

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day!! People across the world are celebrating the achievements of women today. In fact, in some countries it's a national holiday! Much like Mother's Day, men and children honor the women in their lives with flowers and accolades.

Here in Chicago, several organizations have planned events to honor local women for their contributions to their communities. A business in Chicago called Everyday Medicine Woman is recognizing three women for their inspiring work in the areas of education, health and the arts. In honor of International Women's Day, I wanted to share their stories with you!

Lisa Kenner, Principal, Legacy Charter School

Lisa began teaching at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and continued teaching children throughout Chicago for 16 years.  In 2005, she used all of her experience to help start a new charter school in Chicago where she now acts as principal. Kenner is being honored for her tireless efforts in making sure children in our communities have a bright future.

"The purpose of education is to raise young people to transform the world as we know it into a place of greater equity, opportunity and peace. The bright future we envision stems from the daily educational experiences of each scholar." -Lisa Kenner

Myrna Fragoso, President & Founder, Frida Kahlo Community Organization

Myrna created an organization that works closely with the Chicago Bilingual Parent Resource Center to help parents from Mexico assimilate into the United States. Based in the Pilsen neighborhood, The Frida Kahlo Community Organization provides parents with consultants and workshop materials to learn everything from computer skills to the English language.  Myrna is being honored for empowering women and opening new doors for them.

LaDonna Redmond, President & CEO The Institute for Resource Community Development

LaDonna started a non-profit in Chicago to help people get access to healthy foods.  Her goal is to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into so-called "food deserts" on the city's south and west sides. LaDonna started her efforts more than 10 years ago as a way to help feed her son who has serious food allergies. There are now vacant lots across the city that have been converted into gardens.   LaDonna is being honored for her ability to see a void in her community and then go out and fill it.  

All three women will be celebrated at an event tonight at Allyu Spa. Feel free to join them in the celebration! Here's the information:

The Tree of Life: Honoring the Influence of Women in Community

Tuesday, March 8th

Allyu Spa, 600 W Chicago Ave.

6:30-8:30 p.m.

The event is co-sponsored by  Everyday Medicine Woman, Allyu Spa and Noble Tree Media

"Women who stay in their communities are like trees, offering sustenance, security, beauty and strengthen with age.”
-Susan Lipshutz, Everyday Medicine Woman

Chocolate for Charity

A Geneva man made a kitchen entirely of chocolate to help raise awareness for heart disease.  Chef Alain Roby used 2,000 pounds of chocolate and sugar to recreate his home kitchen at a display space in downtown Geneva.

He hopes his delicious creation will help save lives.  A portion of all proceeds brought in with tastings and courses in the chocolate kitchen will go to the Saving Tiny Hearts Society. 

It's an organization that is special to Roby's family.  In 2007, his son Jonathan collapsed on the football field at age 16.  He survived, but found out he had a congenital heart defect they never knew existed.  The Saving Tiny Hearts Society gave their family hope. Now Chef Alain Roby is using his culinary skills to give back to the organization that helped him through a tough time. 

You can visit the all-chocolate kitchen at 507 S. Third Street in Geneva.  For more information on the tastings or visits, call 630-232-2395. 

See a full story about Chef Alain Roby in The Chicago Tribune:  Chef builds kitchen of chocolate and sugar

"It is my dream that each child born into this world has the ability to smile when
they're happy, swing at the playground, run through the ball fields, laugh with their
friends, play in the park, love one another and simply live their life."

-Chef Alain Roby

Fashionably Giving Back

A 20-year-old Highland Park woman is using handbags to help give back to the hospital that saved her life. 

Yali Derman is a two time cancer survivor who was first diagnosed with leukemia at 5-years-old.   She's created her own line of tote bags to help raise money for the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.  


The new carry on made it's debut yesterday at Saks Fifth Avenue in Highland Park.  

Take a look at Yali's inspiring story on YouTube:

Learn more about Yali's story and her carry on bags at Yali's Carry On. Her goal is to empower people to "carry on" in the face of adversity.

You can purchase the bags here.

13-Year-Old Hero

A Fremont Middle School student is being honored for saving a little girl's life. 

David Bailey, 13, immediately went into hero-mode when he saw a little girl on his bus choking on a piece of candy.  

Bailey ran over to second-grader Madeline Kelenzon, performed the Heimlich maneuver and dislodged the candy! 

The district honored Bailey with a plaque for his quick instincts and actions.  

It's so great to see a young teenager step up in a scary situation and be brave enough to help.  Hopefully this story inspires people of all ages to learn life-saving skills like the Heimlich!  You just never know when you'll need it. 

See the full story at the Daily Herald:  Fremont student honored as hero