Platinum Charity Partners
(500+ Participants)

Team World Vision

1. Join Team World Vision
2. Run the Chicago Half Marathon
3. Change lives in Africa

Join hundreds of teammates in raising money to help provide clean water to communities in Africa. Free training groups in Chicago and suburbs, and no fundraising minimum!

Learn more at www.teamworldvision.org.

Gold Charity Partners
(250-499 participants)

TEAM TO END AIDS (T2)

Join the TEAM TO END AIDS (T2) – a full and comprehensive endurance training program that prepares YOU to complete the Chicago Half Marathon.  Developed by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, T2 supports the life-saving work of AFC by helping to raise funds to support programs and services that change lives.  In just a few months, we can train YOU to complete the half marathon, whether you are an experienced athlete or you've never trained for an endurance event before.  With T2, you train without intimidation and triumph with elation!

Silver Charity Partners
(100-249 Participants)

Team In Training

Team In Training provides participants with the fitness training and group support needed to succeed. Participants get to meet new people and achieve a personal fitness goal, and they feel great about making a difference in the lives of others.

Training is comprehensive. The average TNT participant covers 600 miles while training and burns 60,000 calories, which is equivalent to a 17-pound weight loss.

For four to five months, the athletes receive high caliber training with certified coaches who prepare them for their specific event. They attend local workshops on nutrition, technique, injury prevention, event day strategy, fundraising skills/ and they build friendships with others on their team. Members receive guidance from the TNT Mentor Program, which matches them with past TNT participants who share their training, fundraising and event day experiences.

By The Hand is an after-school program with an emphasis on academics and a commitment to nurturing the whole child—mind, body and soul. Founded in Cabrini-Green and located strategically throughout some of Chicago's most impoverished inner-city communities, where overcrowded and underfunded schools abound, By The Hand is filling a special need—and with great success. Kids are saying no to drugs, gang violence and teenage pregnancy. They are rejecting illiteracy and poverty as a way of life. Instead, they are developing into honor-roll students and changing the trajectory of their lives. When you partner with By The Hand, you are helping kids realize their full potential. In doing so, you are making a difference for generations to come.

Join Team TRUTH -- Run for One!  Project HOPEFUL NFP educates, encourages, and enables families to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS and other of the most overlooked children for adoption around the world.  Join our team and help us continue to spread the truth about how HIV is transmitted and, more importantly, how it is not.

 Our nationwide team will work with coaches designed to make the process easier for you.  And, hopefully, each of you will raise $1000 for Project HOPEFUL!  Go Team TRUTH!  Click here for more information.

Bronze Charity Partners
(50-99 Participants)

Team DetermiNation supports the leading cancer organization and we want you to join the fight! Not only will you set and meet your goal to complete the Chicago Half Marathon, you'll also raise lifesaving funds for American Cancer Society research, education, advocacy and support programs.  There is no fundraising commitment and with more than 11 million cancer survivors cheering you on toward your personal victory, we'll set you up for success!

If you would like to learn more, please attend one of our upcoming info sessions listed on our website: www.acsdetermination.org/illinoisinfosession

Thank you for helping to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays!  Click here for more information.

WE RUN TO ADVANCE DIABETES RESEARCH: As individuals we have a presence, but together as team we are a force. The Chicago Diabetes Project's, Cellmates on the Run team is a running group that brings people together to achieve a common goal: to raise awareness in the fight of an aggressively growing epidemic - DIABETES.  Make SAVING LIVES part of your TRAINING and lets OUTRUN DIABETES in 2012.  Click here for more information. 

Team Dignity is Designs for Dignity's charity running team. Founded in 2010 to support the program work of Designs for Dignity, we have raised over $20,000 since our inception.

In 2000, our work started with one woman, one vision and one project. Since then,we have renovated and restored the environments of more than a hundred community programs and non-profit organizations across the Midwest. We have made a substantial contribution to these organizations and programs to help them better serve their constituents. JOIN TEAM DIGNITY TODAY! http://www.designsfordignity.org/teamdignity/halfmarathon5k.html

SoleMates are adult athletes who pursue individual athletic goals on behalf of Girls on the Run – Chicago (GOTRC). GOTRC is an 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Funds raised by SoleMates athletes provide scholarships to girls who might otherwise not be able to participate in our programming. In 2011, SoleMates athletes raised nearly $100,000 for GOTRC programs.  Click here for more information.

Join Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC^®-CNI) as we take ‘Strides to keep Families Together’ this September! RMHC-CNI is a non-profit dedicated to improving the health, well-being and education of children through four core programs including: four Ronald McDonald Houses^® in the Chicagoland area, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile^® program, a Scholarship program and a Ronald McDonald Family Room^®! We need YOUR support to help us fulfill our mission of ‘keeping families together’ at times when they need it most. To learn how to join the RMHC-CNI team, click here!

Participating Charity Partners
(10-49 Participants)

The word "Asha" means "hope" in many Indian languages. Asha for Educationis an international non-profit organization with a primary focus on basic education in India. The broader mission is to catalyze socio-economic change in India through the education of underprivileged children. Asha is a unique organization in that it is 100% volunteer-driven, has no hierarchy and has zero overhead costs. All administrative costs are borne by volunteers enabling 100% of all donations to be sent to our projects in India. All donations made to Asha for Education in the United States are tax-exempt under IRS code Section 501(c)3.

The objectives of Asha in India are:

• To provide access to education for underprivileged children in India
• To promote universal education and decrease child labor
• To support grass roots initiatives in deprived and marginalized communities in India
• To address, whenever possible, other issues affecting human life such as health care, environmental and socio-economic issues, women's issues, human rights issues, etc.
• The objectives of Asha in the United States are:
• Raise resources & awareness
• Encourage volunteer learning & leadership
• Provide opportunities to contribute to socio-economic change in India

Run with Equine Dreams and help us make dreams come true!

Join the Equine Dreams Dream Team and help us continue to provide Therapeutic Horseback Riding to children and adults with special needs at NO charge! Help us continue our mission of nurturing abilities
in individuals with special needs.

Equine Dreams is a not-for-profit therapeutic horseback riding program dedicated to providing free sessions to children and adults with disabilities. Since 1996, our goal has been to improve the quality of life for children and adults with special needs.

Equine assisted therapy is a unique tool in that with the assistance of a horse, an individual can experience three dimensional movement. Through this movement the rider learns the functional tasks for weight shifting, balance, and equilibrium responses which are all necessary components of simple ambulation. Social isolation and limited access to services remain major problems to individuals with disabilities. Equine Dreams provides services to both individuals and groups from neighboring group homes and schools from several surrounding counties in Northern Illinois. Equine Dreams operates entirely on funds generated by private donation, foundation grants, fundraising, and in-kind donations.
This assistance allows access to services without placing a financial burden on its participants.

For more information on Equine Dreams, visit www.equinedreams.org

To join our running team in the Chicago Half Marathon/5K, go to http://www.equinedreams.org/
chicagohalfmarathon5k.html

Move further. Move forward. Join Team Breakthrough and run the Chicago Half Marathon on behalf of the American Brain Tumor Association. Participants receive race entry, a comprehensive training program through Chicago Endurance Sports and fundraising guidance from the ABTA. 

Brain tumors affect more than 600,000 people in the United States – and each day, another 500 people are diagnosed. Your participation in Team Breakthrough helps the American Brain Tumor Association advance the understanding and treatment of brain tumors. We’re working to improve, extend and ultimately save lives – but we need YOU to help make it happen.

Visit www.abtateambreakthrough.org to register today.

The Miles for Magic running team supports Open Heat Magic, bringing magic to sick kids in hospitals all over Chicago. Running the miles for a great cause with a team who shares your goals and ambitions is a challenging and rewarding experience. Miles for Magic will make sure you have everything you need to achieve your goal, help raise money for Open Heart Magic and surround you with great people who want to bring more magic to kids in hospitals. Bring your MAGIC!

Open Heart Magic’s mission is to use the therapeutic power of magic and laughter to energize and strengthen seriously ill children in Chicago area hospitals, and aid their healing. We strive to reach young patients one-by-one regardless of their disease, medical situation or physical ability so that all children may benefit from this engaging and entertaining therapy. Open Heart Magic is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.

Please join Team Hope in helping Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA). We are a National, voluntary health organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with Huntington's Disease (HD). We promote and support research and medical efforts to eradicate HD and provide assistance to people and families affected by HD. We also educate the public and health professionals about HD.

Huntington's disease is a hereditary, degenerative brain disorder that results in a loss of cognitive, behavioral and physical control - presently, there is no treatment or cure. HD slowly diminishes the affected person's ability to walk, think, talk and reason. More than 30,000 people in the U.S. currently are diagnosed with HD and over 200,000 people are at risk.

Imerman Angels carefully matches and individually pairs a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel). Cancer caregivers (spouses, parents, children and other family and friends of fighters) also receive 1-on-1 connections with other caregivers and survivors. These 1-on-1 relationships inspire hope and offer the chance to ask personal questions and receive support from someone who is uniquely familiar with the experience. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world.  Click here for more information.

When you join Team LYDIA, you can reach your personal fitness goals while standing up for children of Chicago who need your support through your pledges and donations to LYDIA Home Association. Our mission is to strengthen families to care for children and care for children when families cannot. Some of our programs include: a home for abused and neglected children, foster care, alternative high schools, Safe Families for Children, early abuse intervention projects and counseling centers. Learn more at www.lydiahome.orgor www.safe-families.org.

SALUTE, INC. passionately pursues meeting the financial, physical and emotional needs of military service members, veterans and their families. We strive to raise awareness of their sacrifices and provide a safety net to ensure every military family is treated with honor and dignity.  Click here for more information. 

Team Catholic Charities is comprised of first-time and seasoned runners with a common goal – to run 13.1 miles in the Chicago Half Marathon while making a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need, meeting new friends and having fun! Funds raised by Team Catholic Charities will benefit our Neighbors in Need fund which provides food, clothing, shelter and emergency assistance to people in Cook and Lake Counties who come to Catholic Charities during a time of immediate need. All participants are offered such benefits as marathon training with CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association), weekly training tips to inspire and motivate, a personalized fundraising webpage, official technical fabric team shirt, a pre-race pasta party, exciting incentive prizes and more! Please contact Hillary Fash at 312-948-6797 or hfash@catholiccharities.net to join today!

Namaste Charter School is an innovative Kindergarten-8^th grade public charter school, located in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood. Namaste works to change the trajectory of under-served children’s lives by providing a top-notch holistic education that combines health and wellness with academic rigor in a peaceful environment. Since Namaste’s inception in 2004, the school has developed and strengthened its groundbreaking model to combat the diverse challenges facing children growing up in Chicago’s under-served communities. Each Namaste practice is purposefully implemented to improve student academics, promote positive physical and mental health outcomes, and ensure student success in high school, college and career.  Click here for more information.

http://www.mitchellswabackcharities.org/index.cfm/events/2013-chicago-half-marathon-and-5k/.

Hope for more tomorrows for children with neuroblastoma! Join the Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society and Run for Hope!

Help for Children and Their Families
Oncology Research
Public Awareness
Education

The Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Society is a group made up of volunteers, many of whom have children or relatives who are victims or survivors of this disease. Our organization is an advocate for the children who suffer from neuroblastoma and is dedicated to serving as a support center for their families. The primary focus of the organization is to raise money to assist local research in neuroblastoma cancer, and to rais

e national awareness to focus additional research and funding until a cure can be found.

For more information on the Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society, please visit http://www.neuroblastomacancer.org or email jfscpa@aol.com.

Opportunity International opportunity.orgis a nonprofit microfinance organization whose vision is a world in which all people have the opportunity to provide for their families. Our mission is to empower people to work their way out of poverty, transforming their lives, their children’s futures and their communities. Opportunity provides savings, small business loans, insurance and trainingto more than two million people working their way out of poverty in over 20 countries in the developing world. Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) is a network of globally-minded young professionals who champion Opportunity’s initiatives through volunteer-led, regionally based chapters across the U.S. and abroad.

Join the YAO team in supporting Opportunity International by running together in the Chicago Half Marathon and starting a fundraiser at optinnow.org/fundraisers. Through your fundraiser, you can encourage friends and family to support your goals and you’ll raise support for Opportunity’s microfinance initiatives around the world.

The Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life and extend the lives of adults with congenital heart defects. Through education, outreach, advocacy, and promotion of research, ACHA serves and supports the more than one million adults with congenital heart defects, their families and the medical community.  www.achaheart.org

This year, Captain Cardio’s Pace Makers will take on the Chicago Half Marathon to increase awareness of congenital heart disease and raise funds to support ACHA. For more information about this event, please visit: http://www.achaheart.org/get-involved/acha-events.aspx

JOIN CAPTAIN CARDIO’S PACE MAKERS TODAY! http://www.razoo.com/team/Captain-Cardios-Pace-Makers

The fundamental belief of Home of Hope, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1999, is that each child is precious, and given an opportunity to succeed, each has the potential of becoming a self-sustaining, productive member of society.

HOH has worked with 17 established service providers in India – 12 are still active - and one in Berkeley, CA. Together, with people who help HOH raise money, we have provided a brighter future to 50,000 under- privileged children. Through no fault of their own, these children are crippled, orphaned, abandoned or physically/mentally challenged. Some are blind, deaf or mute. Others are Tsunami victims, street children or victims of AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. Each of them deserves an opportunity to become independent and enjoy life, and that is our purpose!

Visit our website for more information – www.hohinc.org.

CAASE addresses the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation.  Our work includes prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal services.  Click here to learn more.  

Click here to learn more about Our Next Step of Faith Campaign.

Click here to learn more about Covenant Point Bible Camp. 

Click here to find out how you can join us for the Half-Marathon and 5K.

Organization of the NorthEast (ONE) is a 37 year old mixed-income, multi-ethnic, intergenerational not-for-profit community organization of institutions that unites our diverse communities of Uptown, Edgewater, Lincoln Square, West Rogers Park and Rogers Park. ONE is comprised of 84 member institutions that include religious congregations, businesses, schools, tenant associations, immigrant associations and non-profit organizations.  Our mission is to build power and develop leadership so that the community collectively can address critical human rights issues to improve our common life.  ONE members work together around a common set of shared values that prioritize maintaining the economic, racial and ethnic diversity of our communities.

Join the ONE running team to make a difference and improve your community! www.onechicago.org

The Global Health Initiative Fund provides resources for global health research and education programs that benefit medical students, residents, fellows and faculty members of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The Global Health Initiative is supported by the faculty at Chicago Lake Shore Medical Associates. Join our team and make a world of difference! For more information, call 312.503.0763 or visit 

www.clsma.com/ghi

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a devastating genetic disease that destroys the nerves that control voluntary movement.  It is the number one genetic killer of children under two.  Sadly, children born with SMA may never crawl, walk, lift their head or even breathe on their own.  Families who live with an SMA diagnosis turn to Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy for information, guidance, encouragement and most importantly; HOPE.

Since we were founded in 1984, Families of SMA has served the dual purpose of funding research to find a treatment or cure for this horrific disease and supporting families affected by SMA.  FSMA is made up of more than 65,000 members and supporters and has funded more than $50 Million in leading research programs since its inception.   

To register as part of Team FSMA for the Chicago Half Marathon or 5K, please visit us atwww.fsma.org/ChicagoHalfMarathon.

cancer kiss my cooley™ (CKMC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising community awareness surrounding pediatric brain cancer. Our goal is to raise funds to help local families living with this life-threatening condition, along with providing support to these children and their families.

CKMC was created in memory of a very special boy, Carter Kettner, who passed away in 2010 at the young age of 6 from brain cancer.  A year later, his parents and their crew formed CKMC.  It was named after a phrase that Carter used to say when receiving treatment. We called his backside his “cooley”, which is Italian slang for “rear end”. He would sing “cancer kiss my cooley!” pointing to his backside.  Since Carter’s passing and this new idea, the phrase has taken on new meaning. We want to show families that they can also tell cancer to “kiss it”!  Live your lives with cancer; fight, yes – but live; make memories, and keep HOPE.  CKMC can help them smile, because their time is now.

For more information about CKMC, please visit our website at http://www.cancerkissmycooley.org/

Join our team, this will be the second annual race for Pits on the Run!   Pits on the Run was created to help out a small local pit bull rescue Bombshell Bullies.   Bombshell bullies is a non-profit organization.   Our goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home dogs identified as Pit Bulls.   We are currently out at local expos and pet shows to try to help educate people about the breed.  It is estimated that 5,000,000 dogs per year are killed in shelters.  Since in many places pit bulls make up 30-50% of the shelter population, and are less likely to be considered for placement than any other breed.  Please join our team so we can continue our goals!  Click here to learn more about our team!

Run the Chicago Half Marathon and help girls grow up happy, healthy and strong!

Girls in the Game believes all girls deserve access to sports and fitness, health education, and leadership and self-esteem programs that encourage the development of lifelong healthy habits. Girls in the Game served over 3,200 girls last year and many more girls and schools are on waiting lists for programs. Obesity rates continue to rise as access to nutrition education and physical fitness activities falls. Girls deserve a safe place to play and learn.

Join our team and help us reach even more girls in 2013! www.girlsinthegame.org/charityraceteam

Green Star Movement is a non-profit organization dedicated to building community through creative collaboration with Chicago students. We believe that taking pride in one’s space and art empowers children and adolescents with the skills necessary for unlimited future success.

Green Star Movement provides schools and community centers with mural projects that celebrate diversity, urban life and the natural environment. Our programs redefine city neighborhoods and strengthen teamwork, diligence and creativity in our participants. It is our priority to work with schools that lack the funds needed to support educational arts-based programming. The creation of public art not only beautifies a neighborhood but prevents crumbling infrastructures, which is often a symptom of low-income neighborhoods. Providing a link between the individual, the social, the historical and the imaginary. 

Join team NetsforLife^®!  NetsforLife® is a program partnership of Episcopal Relief & Development. Since 2006, NetsforLife^® has distributed over 8.5 million nets in 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as part of its campaign to fight malaria resulting in less sickness, fewer deaths and stronger communities.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of The Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners to help rebuild after disasters and to empower local communities to find lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.  Go to www.er-d.org or www.inspirationfund.org to learn more.

Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness (OCSA) is pleased to announce our participation in the 16^th Annual Chicago Half Marathon and 5K on Sunday, September 9, 2012 – and we want you to join our team! We’ve partnered with Miami, Florida’s Message from Marli Foundation (MFM) to create the “Teal Turtles.” MFM is a like-minded organization devoted to heightening awareness and spreading the word about the silent symptoms of ovarian cancer in the hope of saving lives. Sadly, Marli Wolff (MFM co-founder) and Susan Roman (OCSA co-founder) lost their battles with ovarian cancer within a month of each other in the first quarter of 2012. For this race – and every race ahead of us – we will run in their honor.

For more information about ovarian cancer or our organizations, please visit www.ovariancancersymptomawareness.org or www.messagefrommarli.org. 

Team One Step believes a diagnosis of cancer should not prevent a child from enjoying the simple joys of childhood. Team One Step benefits Children’s Oncology Services, Inc. COSI is volunteer-driven, relying on more than 350 volunteers to plan and operate a wide portfolio of camping, recreational and educational programs for children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer. From the popular two-week Summer Camp, to skiing excursions, and education programs, COSI is a leader in providing empowering and fun experiences to young people facing cancer.  Click here for more information.  

My Team Triumph is an organization whose primary purpose is to provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities that normally would not be able to participate in a road race or triathlon to be able to experience the thrill of competition and excitement of crossing a finish line. We have chapters in OH, WI, CA, AZ, FL, CO and now IL through our Chi-Town Chapter. Our volunteer athletes act as the arms and legs, but our "Captains" are the true inspiration of our teams. We are looking for compassionate and motivated volunteers who want to be a part of our My Team Triumph Chi-Town Chapter and to experience this joy firsthand with our Captains. Prepare to be inspired! Please visit us at www.mttchi-town.org

Build a school. Educate a child. Empower a community.

Every child has the right to education, but there are 4 million Angolan children not in school. RISE builds primary schools in rural Angola, Africa to educate children, empower communities and contribute to the rebuilding of the country. Over 5000 children are in school because of Team RISE efforts!

Sign up to Join Team RISE.

To join CFS's Team Freedom in support of youth activism in Chicago, please visit:  http://chicagofreedomschool.org/support

Established in 1941, The Community House (TCH) is a  nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization providing the highest quality recreation opportunities and vital social services, without tax support, to the members of DuPage and western Cook Counties.  We build community by providing inspiring opportunities for learning, social support, and recreation. Through athletics, theater, volunteer activities, education and therapeutic services, we make a difference in the lives of thousands of people each year.  TCH accomplishes its mission of improving the social, physical and emotional well-being for its users via its main Hinsdale facility and its three satellite locations: the Charlie's Gift Autism Center in Downers Grove, the Youth Center in Hinsdale, and the Willowbrook Corner Initiative in unincorporated DuPage County.   Click here to learn more.