Libertyville High School Boys’ Cross Country Team Donates $2,000 to 'By the Hand'

The Boys’ Cross Country Team donated $2,000 to By The Hand, a Chicago charity that works with disadvantaged youth. The team followed an eight-year tradition of raising money to donate to charity. This year, the Libertyville athletes sold coffee, hot chocolate, and smoothie mixes with the help of TKU, Inc. Fundraising. Top fundraisers were Alex Zoellick, Tyler Chen, and David Rule.

By The Hand is an after-school program with an emphasis on academics and a commitment to nurturing the whole child—mind, body, and soul. Founded in Cabrini Green and located strategically throughout some of Chicago’s most impoverished inner-city communities, where overcrowded and underfunded schools abound, By The Hand is filling a need—and with great success. More than 900 students are served by the program.

The team met some of the students from By The Hand on Sunday Sept. 9 at the Chicago Half-Marathon and 5k in Jackson Park. The By The Hand students, from age 9 to 17, ran the 5k.  The LHS cross country runners helped them warm up and cheered for them during the race.  Senior Adam Blythe said, “After helping them warm up—I wanted to run, too. But it was a lot of fun to watch them compete.”

“It was nice to meet the kids that will be helped by our donation. And it was rewarding to see their smiles when we cheered for them,” said senior Chris Aksland.

Over the past eight years, the LHS Boys’ Cross Country team has donated more than $16,000 to charities. The team is coached by Mark Buesing, Matt Condron, Mike Cook, Ben Zollo, and Colleen Pawlicki.

- Mary E. Todoric, director of communications in Community High School District 128, submitted this information.