On October 7, 45,000 runners will gather in Chicago's Grant Park for the start of the 30^th annual Chicago Marathon.  Among the crowd, 600 of these athletes will be racing in support of international Christian humanitarian organization World Vision – and nearly 100 of those runners are WMBI listeners and employees. 

WMBI and Moody Bible Institute annually host a Chicago Marathon cheering station on Moody's campus.  As runners pass by Moody on La Salle Street to the east and Wells Street to the west, they are encouraged by upbeat music and the cheers of their fans.  Meanwhile, friends and family can enjoy coffee and donuts while supporting their runners. 

This year, WMBI has taken its marathon involvement to a new level, by recruiting listeners and employees to run on behalf of Word Vision's humanitarian efforts.  Eight employees and dozens of listeners rose to the challenge, training together and raising financial support throughout the summer months.  On race day, these runners will be easily identifiable in their orange World Vision jerseys and blue WMBI caps. 

Michelle Strombeck, Producer for WMBI's Prime Time Chicago¸ is running her first marathon this year on behalf of Team World Vision.  "Many of us wanted to run the marathon as a personal challenge," Strombeck says.  "However, participating in Team World Vision gives us a chance to run for something beyond ourselves, to help those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.  As we run and think about the kids and families we'll be helping, we are encouraged to persevere!"

For more information, please visit the WMBI Website.