Oak Park D97 Middle Schools Host 2nd Annual “Mile in the Middle” Fun Run on Sunday, 10/6

Students from Oak Park District 97 middle schools will participate in a non-competitive mile run between Percy Julian and Gwendolyn Brooks middle schools on Sunday, October 6, from 9-11 am.  The run will be followed by an after-party with a DJ, games and treats for the participants.  Student who pre-register will also receive a free t-shirt.

“We were thrilled with the turnout for our first event last year,” said Maggie Testore, one of the many parent volunteers helping to organize and staff the event. “This year we hope to grow participation to over 200 students.  Our goal is to create a stronger sense of community between the two middle schools, while showing that being active can also be fun.”

The runners (and walkers!) will meet at Percy Julian (416 S. Ridgeland) starting at 8:30 am to prepare to run the one mile to Gwendolyn Brooks (325 S. Kenilworth).  Several roads between the schools will be blocked off and police will be on hand for the brief run to ensure the students’ safety. The after-party will be held at Brooks.  With the assistance of Seven Generations Ahead and volunteers from D97, we are striving to make D97’s Mile in the Middle a zero waste event with the goal of 90%+ waste diversion.

The “Mile in the Middle” is sponsored by Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest, Oak Park District 97, and the Brooks and Julian PTOs.  Additional support has been provided by Body by G, Greenline Wheels and Book Table.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact Maggie Testore at m.testore@comcast.net.  Students can pre-register online at their school’s PTO website.