Chicago Charity Race Has Roots in St. Charles

Passion is a powerful force, and harnessing your passion to accomplish something great is a lesson that St. Charles resident Michelle Lincoln has taken to heart.

Inspired by her faith, her compassion for the homeless, the philosophy of an organization she works with, and her own passion for running, Lincoln and three friends stepped onto a nine-month-long path that they hope will lead to change.

The Change of Pace 5K run/walk they organized on Sept. 22 in Chicago’s Jackson Park will be the fruit of their labor. At 25, Lincoln is the director of the event, which will raise money to clothe the homeless.

“I work with an organization called The Prop, and what we do is encourage people to use something that they love to make a difference in the world,” Lincoln said Wednesday afternoon. “Our opinion is that everybody wants to change the world, but you don’t really know how to take that chance, take that first step.”

Simply finding a hobby you really enjoy, something you are passionate about, Lincoln said, can be your own first step toward fomenting change.

“One thing I really love is running — I’m a big runner,” she said. “Homelessness has been on my heart a long time, but it’s felt like such a cause that’s so big. What could one person possibly ever do?”

But realizing those two passions in her life gave Lincoln the idea to combine them, and she “found three friends crazy enough to join with me.”

James Biagioni, and Christina and David Richter were the three who stepped up to support Lincoln’s idea. While they had lived in St. Charles, Lincoln said that in the past month, all three have moved — Biagioni to Seattle, Wash., and the Richters to Michigan. But they will reunite in Chicago for the Change of Pace 5K at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, in Jackson Park. The run/walk will be along Lake Michigan’s Lakefront Trail.

Lincoln said she knew Christina Richter from their work together at Christ Community Church in St. Charles, and as she talked about her idea, Christina started getting excited and began using her talents as a graphic designer to create the logo and design posters and brochures to promote the event. But Lincoln said it was not simply creating a logo and a design — the concept had to work on paper as well as online, for one thing, meaning it had to be compelling however it was used, Lincoln said. Richter, she added, accomplished that.

While she misses seeing her trio of friends since their respective moves, she said Skype and Google Docs have helped them continue their planning efforts in the lead-up to the race.

The work has not been simple — in fact, Lincoln said it has taken every bit of her spare time the past nine months. The planning began in January, and “had I realized what was involved, I never would have done it.”

There was the permitting process through the city of Chicago’s Parks and Recreation Department, which is extensive, Lincoln said, and very thorough.

“There’s a lot that goes into that — organizing security plans, medical plans, you have to outline the 5K course,” she said. “And with that, we went ahead and had it certified by the USA Track & Field Association … insurance, getting a website launched was an ordeal, and online registration.”

There also were design considerations, promotional materials to prepare and send,

In many ways, it was a logistics nightmare, but the determine young woman and her three friends persevered, and now the run is a little more than a week away.

Will Lincoln be able to run the event?

“I wish I could run, but as the director I think I’m going to be directing everybody else and making sure everything comes off smoothly,” she said. “I’ve been the point person on everything — the one person who knows everything that should happen that day. I wish I could run that day — it’s a beautiful course, right along Lake Michigan on the Lake Star Trail.”

The open, flat course, she added, is suitable for runners and strollers.

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