IT IS DONE!!!!!! THANKS ALL!!!!!!!
CLICK ON "TEAM NAME: 50 MILER" IN THE RIGHTHAND CORNER ABOVE IN ORDER TO SEE OUR TOTAL TEAM EFFORT THAT IS OVER $57,000
Hey Family and Friends,
Well, it was cold - 30 at the start. But the middle of the night run went very well and went by quite quickly. We had police escorting us through every village and then when we got to Cicero 8 Chicago squad cars picked us up and took me right to Columbus Dr. to the start area of the marathon. I did the first half in 4 hours and 25 minutes. I then got some warm clothes, ate something, and did an interview with NBC 5 at 7:05 a.m. live from the starting line of the marathon. The marathon portion was very difficult. It almost seemed to get colder and my leg muscles were locked up pretty tight. So, the marathon took me 6 hours and 17 minutes - overall total of 10 hours and 42 minutes. I had a goal to do it in 10 hours. It was a crazy day filled with so many people shouting out to me and encouraging me. I crashed at 8 p.m. that night and could not walk well on Monday. By Tues. my legs were already 70% better and by Weds. I could actually run a few miles if I had to. So, I was very blessed and humbled by this whole thing. Our whole team of 7 raised over $56,000 and my part of that is over $48,000 right now and is still climbing. NBC 5 wants to follow the ongoing story of the running and walking mentoring club we will start in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago in the spring.
So, that's the deal and I am still alive to tell about it. Thanks for your prayers, interest, encouragement, and support.
Blessings, Tim
NOTE THE NEW START TIME FOR MY RUN
1:45 A.M.
Sunday, October 11
Starting at
Starbucks at 691 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Prayer at 1:30 a.m.
Running 50 miles
Raising $50,000 Plus for Africa and Chicago
Celebrating 50 years of an Undeserved Life!!!
Here is the approximate schedule:
1:30 a.m. - Prayer at Starbucks at 691 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 - just west of Rt. 53 on Roosevelt on the South side of the street
1:45 a.m. - Start at Starbucks at 691 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
2:09 a.m. - Mile 2 at Main street in Lombard
2:21 a.m. - Mile 3 at Meyers Rd. Lombard
2:33 a.m. - Mile 4 at Summit Ave. Villa Park
2:45 a.m. - Mile 5 at Rt. 83 Villa Park
3:09 a.m. - Mile 7 at York Rd. Elmhurst
3:21 a.m. - Mile 8 at Wolf Rd. Hillside
3:33 a.m. - Mile 9 at LaGrange Rd. Westchester
3:45 a.m. - Mile 10 at 25th St. Broadview
3:57 a.m. - Mile 11 at 17th St. Broadview
4:09 a.m. - Mile 12 at 1st Ave. Maywood
4:21 a.m. - Mile 13 Des Plaines Ave. Forest Park
4:33 a.m. - Mile 14 at Harlem Oak Park
5:03 a.m. - Mile 16.5 at Cicero Ave. Berwyn/Chicago
5:18 a.m. - Mile 18 at Independence Blvd. Chicago
5:30 a.m. - Mile 19 at Kedzie Chicago
5:45 a.m. - Mile 20 at Ogden Chicago
5:57 a.m. - Mile 21 at Ashland Chicago
6:09 a.m. - Mile 22 at Halsted Chicago
6:21 a.m. - Mile 23 at Michigan Ave.
6:31 a.m. - World Vision Tent in Charity Village in Grant Park
7:30 a.m. - Start of the Chicago Marathon
That's the dream and the calling that I have accepted. On Sunday, October 11, with God's empowerment, I hope to run 23.8 miles to the start of the Chicago Marathon and then run the 26.2 miles of the marathon itself. All of this with the goal to see a whole community of people come together to celebrate life and blessings by raising $50K plus together for clean water in Africa and a new runners and walkers mentoring program in Chicago.
Here are the details: Every gift you give online will go directly to help supply clean water sources for children and families in Zambia and Kenya - changing thousands of lives for generations through this simple gift of clean water. Hundreds of us are joining in an effort to see $50,000 released and distributed from those of us who have so much to those who struggle for the basics of water, food, and shelter every day.
But the other part of the dream and vision is to also come alongside of children and adults who are at risk right in here in Chicago. A number of us want to start a new runners and walkers mentoring program in partnership with Team World Vision right here on the west side of Chicago, with the hope and vision to start it all over Chicago and multiple cities beyond. The idea is to have runners and walkers partnered with either adults or children in the urban center of Chicago who may be at risk in their health and their hope. These mentoring relationships would enjoy friendship, a goal of better health, the goal of running or walking a 5K or 10K or more in the future, tutoring, and the sharing of faith and life stories. So, we hope to raise an additional $5,000 to $10,000 to set aside for this new effort and vision.
Won't you consider joining me and hundreds of others in this radical, life-changing vision of hope during a time when many in our country and world are hopeless?
To Give to the Clean Water Vision for Africa: Go to the purple "sponsor me now" button below and follow the instructions. Or write a check to Team World Vision and send it to me at 7354 W. Lake St. River Forest, IL 60305. Your gift online or by check is tax deductible and will be receipted.
To Give to the Running/Walking Club Vision for Chicago: Write a check to Suburban Life Church WV Mentoring and then send it to Rev. Tim Hoekstra at 7354 W. Lake St. #3W, River Forest, IL 60305. Suburban Life Church, a 20 year old church in Darien, IL, is holding the funds for the new Team World Vision Mentoring program. Your gift here is also tax deductible and will be receipted. For more information on Suburban Life Church go to www.suburbanlife.org.
Join me as we seek to be a people who live our lives in such a way that they don't make sense unless God exists!! To those who have been given much, much is required!!
Blessings and Deep Peace,
Rev. Tim Hoekstra, Lead Pastor of Suburban Life Church
Important Note: I am loosely calling this the Numbtoe 50. Last year I developed a nerve injury that led me to drop out of the marathon at the half way mark but leaving me with a permanently numb big toe. I think this is a physical reminder to me that I am a weak vessel being used by God for his purposes and that without his existence in my life, I can accomplish nothing fruitful (kind of like Jacob in the Bible walking with a limp because God touched his hip to remind him who he belonged to). I will run this 50 miles in obedience and weakness!!
The 50 Mile Run Logistics
The run will begin at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at the Starbucks at 691 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137. We will run down Roosevelt Rd. the entire time to the Start area of the Chicago Marathon, running at an 12 minute mile pace. If you have supported the financial goal, you are welcome to run with me for various miles of the run during the first half or during the marathon. Please e-mail me if you are interested at timhoek@aol.com. The entire run should take aproximately 10 hours. A prayer gathering will begin at 1:30 a.m.
Five Ways to Join the Vision!!
Choose one or more of these possibilities. To inquire about joining, e-mail Tim at timhoek@aol.com
1. Encouragement and Prayer Team
2. Running Partner for some of the 50 miles
3. Overall Fundraising Team (Seeking donations of any amount)
4. Sponsor a mile by giving or raising $1,000
5. Race Day Logistics Team