BAPA’s Ridge Run Offers Paces and Races for All Runners;
Memorial Day Parade Follows Races to Ridge Park
The Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) invites runners of all ages, paces and distances to participate in the 42nd Annual Ridge Run on Memorial Day, Mon., May 27. Runners can compete for a share of the $1800 in cash prizes or simply race to place in age categories ranging from 6 to 80 or beat their personal best time.
The Ridge Run, long considered Chicago’s favorite neighborhood race, takes participants through the Ridge Historic District to run the 10K run, 5K run and walk and Youth Mile run routes. Cheering spectators line the route, offering encouragement, water and energy to the runners. Races start and finish at Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood Dr.
Runners who are training for the Chicago Marathon are also encouraged to sign up for the 10K since completing a 6.2–mile race by June is a benchmark in marathon training.
The Memorial Day Ceremony honoring the men and women in the U.S. armed forces who have given their lives in service to our country, will be held at 9 a.m. at Ridge Park. The ceremony includes the laying of the wreath, taps and a solemn remembrance of the true meaning of Memorial Day.
The running events are followed by the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park/Mount Greenwood Memorial Day Parade, starting at 110th Place and traveling north down Longwood Drive to join the Ridge Run post-race festival at Ridge Park. Run and parade spectators and participants are invited to enjoy food, beverages, information from event sponsors, Team Town and more. The Kids Zone, sponsored by Marquette Bank, will feature a visit from Captain America, the popular Tot Trot, jump houses and more.
The presenting sponsor of the Ridge Run is Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers (LCMH), Evergreen Park, which generously provides the day’s health necessities including the Ridge Run doctor and first aid tent, as well as with general health information. The hospital has been a vital health resource for the community for nearly 90 years and continues to achieve accolades for quality through its revolutionary medical technologies and services both at its home and satellite locations. LCMH was recently named among best hospitals by U.S. News and World Report.
Ridge Run registration continues until race day for participants signing up for the 10K run, 5K run or untimed walk, Ridge Run Challenge 5K and 10K, and, for kids up to age 12, the untimed Youth Mile. Register by May 1 to guarantee getting your Ridge Run t-shirt. Sign up online until May 20 at www.bapa.org, then sign-up and pick up race packets through May 26 (see www.bapa.org for complete registration schedule). Fees increase for race-day registration, which opens at 6:30 a.m.
Volunteers are needed to help with the Ridge Run, and a variety of dates and tasks are available. Sign up at www.bapa.org on the Ridge Run page or call 773-233-3100 for more information.
Memorial Day Parade
The Beverly/Morgan Park/Mount Greenwood Memorial Day Parade, planned and presented by BAPA steps at about 10 a.m. The parade features a variety of units including military vehicles, antique cars, floats, scouts, bands, the Jesse White Tumblers and the Bluesmobile.
Beverly/Morgan Park resident Tim Noonan, founder of the Chicago Council of Gold Star Mothers (CCGSM), will lead the parade as Grand Marshal. The Road Home Program Center for Veterans and their Families at Rush University Medical Center is the parade presenting sponsor.
A few years ago, Noonan formed CCSGM with the mission of restoring and preserving a forgotten monument erected nearly a century ago to honor Chicagoans who gave their lives serving in World War I. His tireless efforts have led to the restoration of that monument, which was installed last fall in a place of honor in the Dan Ryan Woods and rededicated in an official ceremony in time for the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended WWI.
The CCCSM relied on what Noonan called “blind faith” to get the project completed. They ordered a new bronze plaque from a Chicago manufacturer who, according to Noonan, used the same techniques employed on the long–lost original plaque. The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers guided the hands of apprentice masons in rebuilding the monument, also using century-old techniques, with the original stones supplemented by local stones collected by Noonan. The Forest Preserves District of Cook County built the new concrete footing for the memorial.
The CCGSM continues to raise funds to cover the costs of the restored memorial, and the costs of preserving the memorial as well as adding benches and amenities for visitors. For more information about the history behind the monument, the restoration effort and how you can make a donation, visit Chicago Council of Gold Star Mothers on Facebook.
Parade presenting sponsor, The Road Home Program, provides individualized care to veterans and their families to help heal the “invisible wounds of war.” The program helps veterans returning home to address service and combat-related health and mental health issues as well as family challenges. Services are provided regardless of ability to pay. Beverly/Morgan Park neighbor Modie Lavin is the Community Outreach Coordinator; call her at 312-942-8354.
Registration for participating in the Memorial Day Parade continues through May 20. Applications are available online at www.bapa.org on the Ridge Run page or you can request a paper application by emailing bapa@bapa.org.
Thank you to all of the Ridge Run sponsors: Little Company of Mary Hospital, Mike Haggerty Buick-GMC-Volkswagen, Beverly Bank, Marquette Bank, Whole Foods, The Road Home, CIBC, Beverly Hills Animal Hospital, Southtown Health Foods, Berlshire Hathaway Home Services – Biros Real Estate, Smith Village, County Faor, 19th Ward Youth Foundation, Original Rainbow Cone, The Beverly Review, Running Excels, State Farm Insurance – Agent John Harrell, Home Run Inn Pizza, 670- The Score, Meijer, Beverly records, Calabria Imports, Chicago Park District,
For more information about the Ridge Run or Memorial Day Parade, contact the Beverly Area Planning Association, 773-233-3100, bapa@bapa,org or www.bapa.org.
