Sisters in training for Run with the Nuns
Fundraiser raising money for the Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King
Sister Cindy Drozd acknowledged a bit of a competitive spirit has her walking daily in an effort to beplace among the first 100 finishers in the upcoming Run with the Nuns.
“But that may take a miracle,” Drozd said.
The 5K race is an annual fundraiser for the Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King in Lemont.
The event, scheduled for Oct. 14, really is more of a walk for some. Even the walkers set goals.
Drozd has participated each year since the event’s inception in 2012. Last year, Drozd and her dog, Buddy, walked the 3.1-mile course in just over 55 minutes. With that time, she finished 110th out of 201 participants.
“I wasn’t the first and I wasn’t the last. And I’m proud of that,” Drozd said from behind her desk at Alvernia Manor, a senior residence where she serves as administrator.
Two other sisters from the Mount Assisi community will put on their walking shoes and take part this year, according to Carrie Peters, development manager for the Sisters of St. Francis in Lemont. Even though the sisters tend more toward walking in the race, Peters said Run with the Nuns draws people and groups from throughout the south suburbs who want to support the sisters in their various ministries.
Plus, there are the serious competitors who train year-round in an effort to win such events.
One of those runners is Rich Matula, of Homewood, who has 525 races under his belt.
“This one is for a good cause, helping to raise money for the sisters,” said Matula, 53.
Matula is part of a runners group called Tinley Track and Trail. These runners get together a few times each week to train for runs both long and short, he said. The secret is running in a group, which he said is both motivating and fun.
“It helps being with a team,” he said. “Running is a pretty tough activity, but it is also quite an individual accomplishment.”
Matula characterized the Run With the Nuns as a short, challenging run.
“Because it is short, you want to run faster,” he said. “You want to go all out.”
This is Matula’s first Run With the Nuns. He looks to complete the 3.1 miles in under 21 minutes.
Registrations for the charitable event still are coming in, with most teams registering in the weeks just prior to the event, according to Peters.
The Sisters of St. Francis hope this year’s event draws about 250 participants and raises $10,000. That would be an increase from the 2017 race, which brought in
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$8,000 for the convent and drew 201 runners and walkers.
Peters said among those ministries the funds support are a retreat center on the Mount Assisi campus in Lemont, a prison ministry and a religious education ministry headed by Sister Mary Francis Werner, the former principal of Mount Assisi Academy, an all-girls school operated by the sisters that closed in 2014.
The course takes runners and walkers through the natural beauty of the Mount Assisi property at 13900 Main St. The terrain is described in promotional materials as hilly with surfaces from asphalt to grass.