Local Catholic groups leverage Chicago Marathon to raise funds, drive exposure

In 2011, leadership at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls contemplated ways it could better involve Millennials in its mission and broadcast the Mercy Home story.

It didn’t take long for leadership to land on one ambitious endeavor: the annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which passes by Mercy Home’s historic building on Jackson Boulevard each October.

“With thousands of runners streaming by and crowds of spectators lining up to watch the event, race day seemed … like it would be a great showcase for our home,” said Mark Schmeltzer, director of communications for Mercy Home.

Over the last four years, the Mercy Home Heroes marathon team has raised an average of $300,000 each year, Schmeltzer said, growing from 75 runners in 2011 to more than 200 members last year. The team’s fundraising efforts support Mercy Home’s mission to provide kids with a safe home, therapy and support, and tools to build success and self-reliance long term.

“Our Heroes marathon program allows us to invite highly motivated and energetic supporters who personally champion our cause among their networks, helping to raise not just money, but also awareness about our work with children,” Schmeltzer said.

While Catholic organizations around the Chicago area run any number of fundraisers — from arts-and-crafts fairs and Vegas nights to Lenten dinners and silent auctions — the Chicago Marathon has emerged as a rich vehicle for many faith-based organizations to extend their donor base, spotlight their work and secure funds.

After all, Schmeltzer reminded, “There are a lot of people who want a way to get directly involved with a charity … in ways that go beyond writing a check.”

Like Mercy Home, the Chicagobased Big Shoulders Fund, an organization that supports Catholic education, began its racing team to involve a new generation of supporters.

For the 2013 and 2014 Chicago Marathon, 80 runners joined the Big Shoulders team and collectively raised more than $120,000 for the organization, which used the funds for scholarships and school-based programs. Beyond the money, however, Big Shoulders Fund director of events and service Amelia Drozda said the marathon team has served as a successful outreach tool.

“It is helping us to spread the word about our mission and increase our peer-to-peer fundraising, which also grows our base of support,” she said. “We view this as an opportunity to have more people become aware of our mission with the hopes of them being involved more over time.”

Old St. Pat’s, 711 W. Monroe St., began its marathon team four years ago after Chicago Marathon race leadership encouraged Father Tom Hurley, a devoted runner and pastor of the historic Chicago parish, to field a team.

Since 2011, a group of about 400 “Team Crossroads” runners have raised more than $500,000 to help Old St. Pat’s provide muchneeded resources — marketing, technology, management and strategic planning — to a number of local charities addressing the root causes of poverty, including homelessness, unemployment and education.

Old St. Pat’s special events coordinator Bridget Conway said the marathon team aligns participants with the parish’s outreach mission in a personal way.

“By empowering these runners to make a difference in the lives of so many, it directly connects them with the cause,” Conway said.

Eager to engage people who wanted to support its organization in a dynamic and personal way, Franciscan Outreach launched its marathon team in 2014.

Six runners at last year’s Chicago Marathon raised more than $7,500 for Franciscan Outreach and its mission to combat local homelessness with emergency assistance and long-term services. With 20 slots available for this year’s race, the 52-year-old, Chicago-based nonprofit hopes to fill them all.

“I think the marathon really makes fundraising meaningful for our runners,” Franciscan Outreach executive director Diana Faust said. “Everyone likes to give, and give back in their own way, [and] this is another avenue for doing that — an avenue that connects their networks to a cause they care about; an avenue that asks them to sacrifice their time and resources for the organization; and, ultimately, an avenue that makes them feel great on a lot of different levels.”

While entry into the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is now done by lottery, a result of the world-class nature of the 45,000- person event, all organizations in the marathon’s official Charity Program have access to a guaranteed number of race entries for charity participants. For those unable to land a spot in the lottery, running with a charity is a way to gain entry into the race and add a philanthropic element to their marathon experience.

In 2014, more than 10,000 charity runners representing nearly 200 nonprofit causes participated in the Chicago Marathon, which has helped charity runners raise close to $150 million for local, national and global causes since 2002.