This Saturday, September 29, Play for Peace is hosting its sixth annual Fall 5K Run/Walk in Bartlett, IL, to honor World Peace Day and celebrate its 20th anniversary. Whether you’re in the Chicago area or live across the world, anyone can participate and support Play for Peace.
Children and adults alike are invited to join us from 4-8 pm for the 5K, as well as a fall festival that includes trick or treating with over 20 vendors and a Halloween Glow Celebration. There are incredible activities planned for attendees, such as a creepy, crawly animal show; games, crafts, and other activities; and an international food festival that promises a delicious meal for all participants.
If running isn’t your thing, you can register to join us for the fall festival only. Anyone can also support us by participating in our silent auction, which is accessible online for the first time this year. Check out the amazing prizes available and get bidding!
More than just a fun, family event, the 5K was created because Aidan Hennessy, a then five-year-old boy, wanted to make a difference in the world and raise money for children living in conflict zones. Now, six years later, Aidan is still a passionate peace ambassador, fundraising year after year for Play for Peace.
Aidan’s efforts this year include organizing a Disney World ticket raffle at his elementary school, which raised $440 for Play for Peace. The winner of the tickets was Jayden Eguchi, a 5th grader who is battling cancer. Play for Pease is excited that Jayden can visit Disney World as a result of the volunteer efforts that secured free Disney tickets through the Points of Light program.
In addition, more than 20 children from Aidan's Boy Scout troop, as well as participants from two different Girl Scout troops, will be awarded with the Messenger of Peace patch during the closing ceremony on Saturday. This is due to their volunteer efforts to help with the event, as well as participate in World Peace Day activities and an international festival.
If you want to support Aidan and Play for Peace but can’t attend the event, make a donation or register for our virtual 5K so you can join us by running a 5K in your neighborhood, anywhere in the world. Send your time to info@playforpeace.org to be added to our list of finishers. We’ll be presenting an award for the top virtual runner, and on Saturday we'll give awards for the top runners and the best Halloween glow.
As we often say, everyone's invited and everybody wins! We look forward to a great event and thank all who have supported our efforts thus far.
