Cuba Township Supervisor Chris Karam, Land We Love Run organizer Colleen Konicek and Brian Cecola present a record-breaking $22,006.99 donation to Bill Schey (second from left), who accepted the check on behalf of Folds of Honor Chicago.
“America celebrated its 250th birthday this year, and in honor of that celebration, the Land We Love Run was fondly renamed Land We Love Run America250, hosted by the Village of Barrington Hills and Cuba Township. This year’s 5K/10K or 2-Mile Walk charity event continued its annual tradition of raising funds benefiting Folds of Honor-Chicago and collecting much-needed wish-list items for the Cuba Township Food Pantry.
The celebratory morning kicked off with Barrington Hills’ own Ron Hawking, a Grammy-nominated, award-winning entertainer, delivering a patriotic performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem. Anyone who heard it couldn’t help but feel inspired and proud.
Thanks to the generosity of our runners, sponsors, donors, and volunteers, this milestone event raised a record-breaking $22,006.99 for Folds of Honor—the greatest amount raised in this event’s history!
With these funds, Folds of Honor, a non-profit organization, will be awarding life-changing educational scholarships to the families of America’s fallen or disabled military service members and first responders.
Additionally, the Cuba Township Food Pantry received an amazing 100+ pounds of much-needed wish-list pantry items to stock their shelves for our area food-insecure residents.
This year’s charity event welcomed 138 registrants from near and far. Among them was experienced marathon runner and first-time Land We Love Run participant, Uncha Kim, who placed 3rd in her 10K category.
‘It has a lot of hills; I wasn’t expecting that,’ Uncha said with a laugh. ‘I know now for next year.’
The air was filled with excitement as runners competed for first, second, and third place medals across eight age categories in both the 5K and 10K races. Additional awards recognized Best Costume and Most Food Pantry Donations, with the latter presented to 52nd District State Representative Martin McLaughlin for his outstanding support of the food drive. To view the race results, follow the link: Land We Love America250 Race Results.
While many participants challenged themselves in the 5K or 10K races, others enjoyed the 2-Mile Walk at a more leisurely pace. The Land We Love Run isn’t just about the ‘race’ but about a community coming together. Walkers of all ages participated: friends walked side by side, families pushed strollers, and even some four-legged companions joined the walk!
Together with Cuba Township, we thank every runner, sponsor, donor, volunteer, and supporter for making this year’s event our most successful yet!
We especially want to extend our sincerest appreciation to the Konicek Family for their invaluable partnership in organizing the Land We Love Run since its inception. Their extraordinary spirit of service, generosity, and dedication to giving back to the community serves as an inspiration to us all, and we are truly grateful for all they do!
We look forward to setting new records, creating new memories, and welcoming you back to next year’s Land We Love Run on July 3, 2027!”
Source: Village of Barrington Hills website posting
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