NSSRA’s ELA Program
Hosts the Fifth Annual 5K
Fun Run & Walk with Over
200 Attendees
Clear skies greeted runners at Maplewood Park on Friday,
May 18 when participants from NSSRA’s Enriched Lifestyles
for Adults (ELA) Program hosted their annual Fun Run & Walk.
This year’s event landed on a beautiful, green spring day,
unlike last year’s rained out run. Joined by peers from four
additional special recreation associations (SRAs), the crowd
of runners and walkers grew to over 200 by the time the race
began at the Deerfield park.
Members of the community also came out to participate
themselves or cheer those running, including Park District
of Highland Park Executive Director Liza McElroy, one of
NSSRA’s Board members and a long-time supporter.
“I am so happy that I was able to participate in the ELA walk,”
said McElroy. “It was fantastic to see so many SRAs from near
and far come together.”
Check out www.nssra.org/media for
more photos!
SRAs in Attendance
• Fox Valley Special Recreation Association (FVSRA)
• Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association
(NEDSRA)
• Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA)
• South East Association for Special Parks & Recreation
(SEASPAR)
In its fifth year, the ELA Fun Run & Walk was created and
planned entirely by ELA participants. The ELA Program is a
year-round day program for individuals with disabilities who
are 22 years and older.
ELA participants worked hard over the last several months
planning and organizing the event. They created signs for the
path, wrote welcome letters for the other SRAs attending, put
together goodie bags and medals and invited their friends
and families to join them. Participants also did a walk-
through of Maplewood Park a few weeks before the race to
get the lay of the land and plan set-up for the day.
Each participant was awarded a medal at the event’s end, and
concluded the day eating lunch together in the park.
Also attending the event were representatives from the
Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Department and volunteers
from the Rotary Club of Northbrook gave their time to pass
out snacks and encourage runners throughout the morning.
Sunset Foods in Northbrook generously provided water and
fruit for attendees.
www.nssra.org
Supporting Families, Businesses and
Organizations
• Brink Family
• D&R Autoworks
• Deerfield-Bannockburn
Fire Protection District
• Susan & Jorge DelCastillo
• Dusty & Cindy Edmonds
• McNair Family
• Antoinette Rubalcaba
• Kevin Sarnecki
• Schuman Family
• Sunset Foods, Northbrook
• Trane
ELA HOSTS FIFTH ANNUAL FUN RUN 13