Gear Check For PAWS Run For Their Lives 8K Run/4K Walk

Location: Montrose Harbor

Date: Sunday, June 09, 2013; 7:30 am-12:00 pm

When I first heard about this PAWS event, I immediately asked if there would be dogs.  There are few things I enjoy more than being around dogs and if dogs were going to be present, I was sure to sign up.  According to the description on One Brick website, “Run for Their Lives 8K Run/4K Walk is in its 13th year and helps raise funds to save Chicago’s homeless pets by racing for their lives.” I arrived at Montrose harbor to find Dave and Kristen, who were leading this One Brick event, as well as some of the other regulars like Heather, Peter and Laura.  All around us people were walking about with their dogs, some.  In fact, everywhere the eye could see there were dogs.  Oh yeah, I was going to enjoy this one. 

What we were doing

Our main task for the day was to help out with gear check and so we all proceeded towards that tent.  Our job was to check in luggage for the folk who were walking or running and after they were done, they would come back to gather their belongings.  Behind us was a field which had been fenced off and depending on if the participants were walking or running, their gear either went to the right or the left.  Furthermore, zones had been created based on the bib numbers to easily identify where the gear was supposed to go and for easy retrieval later on.  Also, since there was a ‘beer tent’ on the premises for the after-event festivities, we were required to check the participant’s ID and put a wristband on them if they were eligible. 

There were two tables, one each for the runners and the walkers, as well as a table for people who did not have gear to check-in, but just wanted to get a wristband.  We organized into teams where some of us would be at the front, checking people in, while others would carry their gear and place it in the appropriate location depending on the number.  Laura and I were assigned to the walkers table, though despite the sign both, runners and walkers were coming in.  It did not matter as long as we told the folks taking the bag which direction to go in.  It was an easy task and all the people were extremely friendly.  They would come in and if they wanted to leave their gear with us, we would ask for the tag on their bib and attach it to the bag.  Later on, all they had to do was come back and we could read their bib number and get the gear. 

Dogs everywhere!

At the beginning of our shift, there was a beautiful white husky tied up next to us.  He was the event mascot and a magnificent creature.  We all loved him and spent a lot of time playing with him and taking pictures, till it was time for his owner to move him elsewhere.  One of the other attractions of the walk and run was that the dogs were dressed up in costume and we saw several with at least washable tattoos and one wearing a ‘Wonder Woman’ costume and one in a tutu!  It was nice outside and the dogs were having a good time as well.  Speaking of having a good time, many - humans not dogs -  wanted to get their drinks wristband on and our strict instructions were to card everyone, even if they looked 75 years old.  The first challenge was to mentally calculate which date was applicable for them to be 21+ - June 9, 1992 in this case – and second was to spot it quickly on the driver’s license, since many IDs were from out of state.  There were some people with birthdays in 1991 and we joked with them that they had just “made it”.  Many men who were middle aged were pointing to their bald heads, but rules were rules and everyone had to be checked.  A few did not have their IDs on them and even though they looked older – and pleaded with us – we could not gave them a band  Also, the band had to be physically put on them by us, not handed.  This mean that I had to once again ensure a perfect overlap as I went around their wrist, since these can be somewhat uncomfortable if not put on properly.  But hey, these were folks going to get some beer.  Do they really care about how the wristband is put on?

Pool and a Massage - A perfect spa day!

Once the race started, there was some lull in the proceedings and allowed Laura and I to walk around the grounds and watch the festivities. There was a pool for dogs to play in and one fellow was enjoying himself thoroughly by splashing about while another watched him curiously.  There was also a massage station for the dogs and saw one dog getting a massage and looking relaxed.  Finally, stopped at a raffle station where the prize was a giant stuffed dog and I entered, with absolutely no idea how to carry that thing were I to win.  There were some other events as well such as a ‘Dog celebrity lookalike competition’ where I heard that someone had entered their dog as ‘George Clooney’.  I mean come on! 

The stuffed dog that I didn't win

We returned back to our station and some of the front runners were returning back to collect their stuff.  Shortly, we had a big line again and the storage system with the numbers helped a lot in keeping everything moving.  Soon our time was coming to an end, but we still had 5 bags left.  Dave just took them to registration and we were free to leave.  Laura, Dave, Kristen, Peter, another volunteer Kyle, and I went to a place on the beach. ‘The Dock’.  Many of the participants were also there along with their dogs and it was great to see them lying down below the tables, enjoying the shade.  I chatted with Kyle, who is a commercial pilot saying that by far he had the best job of everyone at the table.  I may have spoken too soon since Wilson joined us and we all suspect that he is the reincarnation of ‘James Bond’.  He had come to pick me up for the next project – talk about service!  It had been a fun project and PAWS had done a fantastic job.  PAWS website says, "PAWS Chicago provides homeless pets with the care and dignity they deserve at their inviting, cageless Adoption & Humane Center. PAWS Chicago is the largest No Kill Animal Shelter in the Midwest, saving the lives of more than 5,600 dogs and cats each year. PAWS Chicago performed over 17,500 free or at cost spay and neuter surgeries. PAWS Chicago is working to build a No Kill Chicago - a city where pets are no longer destroyed just because they are homeless". If that doesn't make you feel privileged to help out, nothing will.