The Arlington Heigths Rotary Club's Santa Fun Run, 2009

Bill Kmeicik, promoter of the Santa Run, was pleased with the success this year. “I was in awe seeing so many people turn out.” Last year was the club’s first “run”: In it, around 600 participated, and this year about 900 did. “We grossed about $40,000, with $27,000 or so for charity”, said Bill. The run started from a visiting Rotarian talking about what their club had done. Ron Crawford explained, “It’s a way to supplement our charitable giving funding, to further increase the donor outside the club, and to build awareness of Rotary.”

.”Seemed like town was buzzing with excitement about the run,” said Bob Paddock, one of the Rotarian crossing guards. “I heard it talked about at Starbucks, earlier that day at the Wellness Center, and then there were loads of folks milling about and getting ready in the parking garage and all over the Metropolis building.”

Bill thanked the members of the organizing team, Club volunteers, and others such as the Citizen’s Police Academy and village staff who did the great work to put on the event. Special thanks go to key organizers Ron Crawford, Jim Bertucci, and Dominic Gualtieri. Said one volunteer crossing guard, “I can see how this builds over time. A few residents were impatient at having streets temporarily blocked, but most enjoyed the show. Folks would pull up to a corner, ask what the event was, then start taking will-you-look-at-that mobile phone photos as the hoard of Santas passed by.