Bank of America Chicago Marathon - Infant Welfare Society of Chicago Entry

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon lottery closes at noon on Tuesday (tomorrow). If you're like me, then you've probably already put your name in. But if you want to avoid the anticipation of knowing whether or not you got into the race - or if you're just a good person - you can get a guaranteed entry spot now via a charity.

If you're looking for a good charity to run with, one of my neighbors, Michelle Di Benedetto, is leading the charity team for the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago (IWS).

IWS actively engages in preventive care through medical, dental, optometry and behavioral health services and our marathon team is part of that mission - celebrating healthy lifestyles and early intervention.

"Our Associate Board decided about three years ago to run the marathon to raise money for our community health center and to showcase healthy living and prevention," says Michelle. "It's been a great way for us to raise awareness and money for our mission to bring healthcare for women, children and families."

Michelle wishes she was running but says this year (like last year) she'll be coordinating cheerleaders and the IWS Race Day accommodations so won't be able to run.

"Our runners are all so committed to this cause and it's really inspiring for the IWS staff and patients to see people run a marathon, which is impressive enough, and to dedicate their time and energy to raising money as well to support our work," she says.

Contact Michelle at dibenedettom@infantwelfare.org right away if you want to get a guaranteed entry slot into the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. As with the lottery, the deadline is Tuesday at noon for all registrations to be complete.

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