tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150Thu, 16 May 2013 09:45:32 +0000LLSVideosInspiring KidsFeature StoriesInspiring QuotesEventsInspiring Reads by Local AuthorsSportsLocal Media StoriesSeason of GivingInspiring Songhttp://www.inspiremechicago.com/noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)Blogger262125inspiremechicago/ZldNhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-7855945043064886521Tue, 07 May 2013 22:27:00 +00002013-05-07T17:39:24.850-05:00  After nine weeks of non-stop fundraising, Mina Karagas has just over one week left to bring in as much money as she can for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  She joined the non-profit's 10-week "Man & Woman of the Year" fundraising campaign in honor of her dear cousin who passed away when he was just 22-years-old.  "Bob was part of the  University of Northern Colorado “UNC” Jazz Lab, on a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/oLiwTNd4vY0/in-memory-of-bob.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/oLiwTNd4vY0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/05/in-memory-of-bob.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-1080131942609159159Tue, 07 May 2013 21:23:00 +00002013-05-07T16:23:01.603-05:00 Friends of a little 5-year-old girl from St. John, Indiana are coming together to help raise money for her family as she fights cancer.  Just this year, little Savannah Delgado was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer most commonly found in children.  Earlier this month, friends held an event at Savannah's daycare, Child Zone 41.  They're holding another event on May 18 at the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/zPfZA89CZTc/stay-strong-savannah.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/zPfZA89CZTc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/05/stay-strong-savannah.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-5718684972836413956Fri, 03 May 2013 22:59:00 +00002013-05-03T17:59:24.777-05:00 If you think it’s cold in Chicago this week, stop complaining! It’s still snowing in areas out west. And Andrew Beilat has been dealing with the elements first hand.  He is riding his motorcycle 2,100 miles across the country to raise money and awareness for Ride Janie Ride. The non-profit is hosting its annual motorcycle ride and cancer fundraiser this Sunday.  Beilat is riding his http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/-To8o-tZUkQ/snowy-icy-ride-no-prob.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/-To8o-tZUkQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/05/snowy-icy-ride-no-prob.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-3860918489889990590Fri, 03 May 2013 22:03:00 +00002013-05-07T15:27:47.007-05:00 Marisa and Michael <![endif]-->When she needed advice about school, life or work, Marisa Schostok simply walked down the hall to her Dad’s office for a chat. He was a big trial lawyer in Chicago-- The “Schostok” of The Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard Law Office.  She was following in her Dad’s footsteps--   a law student, who also worked as a clerk at his office on the side.    “It was http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/vxJ0eEDB_8I/michael-matters_3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/vxJ0eEDB_8I" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/05/michael-matters_3.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-7965904490739463658Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:11:00 +00002013-04-23T09:17:20.827-05:00Feature Stories Fill your day with acts of kindness for one another; not looking for anything in return, it becomes a gift to oneself.    -Gene Pellegrene One person can make a difference in their community! Logan Square's Gene Pellegrene is proof.  Five weeks ago, he decided to donate some of his clothes to homeless people in his neighborhood. He thought it would be nice to add some food items to the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/5F0nR-MrgjI/fill-your-day-with-acts-of-kindness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/5F0nR-MrgjI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/04/fill-your-day-with-acts-of-kindness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-6564605915433065177Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:22:00 +00002013-04-22T17:24:56.984-05:00I recently learned about a great non-profit called Moneythink.  It's an amazing organization that mentors inner-city teens and teaches them how to manage their personal finances to prepare for a future of success and independence. What a great concept!  So many kids leave high school without a basic understanding of how to manage money or even set up a bank account.  Moneythink gives http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/K9tt8G_bejs/vote-by-midnight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/K9tt8G_bejs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/04/vote-by-midnight.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-8928471686517550525Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:08:00 +00002013-04-17T18:10:11.558-05:00 Ride Janie Ride is an amazing event that brings hundreds of motorcyclists together for one common goal each year: Raise money for local individuals in need due to a cancer diagnosis. I attended the event  in 2011 and met some pretty amazing people (video below). The ride is always emotional, because the money raised goes directly to local people chosen by the “Ride Janie Ride” Foundation. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/hqKHyb7k0Xg/an-emotional-ride.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/hqKHyb7k0Xg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/04/an-emotional-ride.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-2547860602655830088Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:49:00 +00002013-04-17T07:50:41.529-05:00 Dogs from the Chicago area are in Boston to help comfort survivors of Monday's Boston Marathon bombings. The dogs are becoming known across the country for bringing much needed peace to people after tragedy. In December, the "Comfort Dogs" were sent to Newtown, CT to help children and their families get their minds off the horrible shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Lutheran Church http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/7GZPzMI8z2s/comfort-dogs-back-at-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/7GZPzMI8z2s" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/04/comfort-dogs-back-at-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-6398974179890322912Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:46:00 +00002013-03-19T18:12:00.780-05:00 Friends of a bicyclist severely injured in a hit and run in Wicker Park last month have already raised more than $20,000 to help pay his medical expenses. On Friday, February 8th, Dustin Valenta was thrown from his bicycle after being doored by someone in a parked car.  Friends say that as he was lying in the road, a truck hit him and drove away.  The 27-year-old broke 23 ribs, his pelvis and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/W8s0we8nVyk/support-for-bike-courier.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/W8s0we8nVyk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/03/support-for-bike-courier.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-2159975760243377572Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:27:00 +00002013-02-11T16:34:46.853-06:00 Next month, 26-year-old Jake Jenrich will shave his head to raise money for children’s cancer research. The Chicagoan is shaving it all off in memory of his Dad who passed away in 2011.   “He was the greatest role model anyone could ask for. I learned everything I know from him, including how to be a good man.”   It wasn't cancer that took Ron Jenrich's life.  He passed away suddenly after http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/nkzSzCngVhs/shaving-for-dad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/nkzSzCngVhs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/02/shaving-for-dad.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-7714827235170978384Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:32:00 +00002013-02-11T15:34:58.636-06:00 Service Members at the USO Great Lakes just got a surprise in the mail for Valentine's Day.  Students at Viking Middle School in Gurnee sent about 100 Valentine's to help inspire the troops and thank them for their service.  Take a look at some of the Valentine's the kids sent:  "When I was a kid I thought you needed super powers to be a super hero.  I realize now I was wrong. Your heart http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/gg7K9vu4_F4/american-hero-valentines.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/gg7K9vu4_F4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2013/02/american-hero-valentines.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-1294662424789942655Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:23:00 +00002012-12-21T16:35:07.876-06:00 Check out this awesome story from Lauran Berta in the Sun Times!   She got on the CTA Red Line at Roosevelt this morning and a woman was passing out white envelopes to everyone on board.  As passengers opened the envelopes, they were shocked to see a $5 bill from this stranger.   It's so heart warming to hear stories of random acts of kindness.  One person has the power to improve a strangershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/Ow7Bc0lxkNI/acts-of-kindness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/Ow7Bc0lxkNI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/12/acts-of-kindness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-55511223497890824Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:35:00 +00002012-12-17T07:37:04.701-06:00 Photo: Lutheran Church Charities Religious leaders are hoping some Chicago area dogs can help provide comfort to those impacted by the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Lutheran Church Charities, based in Addison, sent several of its "Comfort Dogs" to Newtown on Saturday night.  Their goal is to try and bring comfort and smiles through the tears. CLICK HERE to see LCC photos http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/ki2vHR3P5Jo/comfort-dogs-to-newtown.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/ki2vHR3P5Jo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/12/comfort-dogs-to-newtown.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-377661880061043646Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:23:00 +00002012-10-05T15:26:27.917-05:00 A 68-year-old Chicago man is set to power walk his 11th marathon this Sunday.  Several weeks later, he will tackle his 12th in Ireland, followed by a half marathon in November. Desmond Campbell works 7 days a week, but still find time to race so he can raise money for various charities.  All the money he makes from his three races this Fall will go directly to the Rehabilitation Institute of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/FRupl5aKLUI/marathon-man-67-years-young.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/FRupl5aKLUI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/10/marathon-man-67-years-young.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-7237363990510735448Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:50:00 +00002012-09-27T07:50:09.141-05:00 Photo: Advocate Condell A Mundelein man will be running the Chicago marathon next month, just a year after suffering a stroke.  Last September, 38-year-old Kirk Disrude's wife rushed him to Advocate Condell Medical Center after he lost balance, fell and turned white.  Doctors worked quick and found a blood clot in his brain that caused a stroke.  The soon-to-be Dad had to relearn basic http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/j1cE4rE4Ti4/run-4-stroke.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/j1cE4rE4Ti4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/run-4-stroke.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-4769005980446758792Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:05:00 +00002012-09-27T07:06:29.871-05:00Inspiring Kids Photo from Sun-Times Media She's being called the "4-Year-Old Hero" by news outlets across the Chicago area.   Little Livia Jenson of Aurora calmly called 911 when her Mom fell to the ground sick.  Take a look at the story from NBC 5 below and see why this preschooler is so very special:  View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com. The Beacon News has a great article about Livia with http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/9JJrBOi1N0E/little-hero.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/9JJrBOi1N0E" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/little-hero.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-1656091662552650107Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:09:00 +00002012-09-26T07:19:38.974-05:00This morning, people in Edgewater woke up to sayings of inspiration on the ground like the one below:  Messages like this have been popping up on sidewalks along the CTA Red Line between the Wilson and Loyola stops for nearly a year now.  The "chalkers" are part of the "Chalk The Block" movement, which was started to help inspire and encourage people to live their best lives. Founder, Richhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/ur7CMfOwnU4/walk-chalk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/ur7CMfOwnU4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/walk-chalk.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-4382593806284735512Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:48:00 +00002012-09-24T08:50:40.225-05:00 Courageous Bakery is now open for business! Owner Laura Pekarik opened up shop for the first time this morning in Elmhurst.    INSPIREme readers may remember Laura. Back in May of 2011, we spoke with her and her sister, Kathryn, who started baking cupcakes and selling them out of their green truck labeled  "Cupcakes for Courage". (Click here to read the story) The green "Cupcakes for http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/a7cR9N9woi8/courageous-bakery-open.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/a7cR9N9woi8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/courageous-bakery-open.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-3255608184232431270Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:11:00 +00002012-09-19T17:14:02.594-05:00 I just saw the latest video from 1WORLD Sports and love it! The non-profit teaches at-risk youth life lessons through inspiring events, like its latest "Event to Inspire" with the Chicago Cubs.  More than 50 kids from the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Park District got to play ball at Little Wrigley Field in Humboldt Park and even got to meet a Chicago Cubs player!  I was at the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/tBDi7z3Im9A/1world-inspires.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/tBDi7z3Im9A" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/1world-inspires.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-6486484203237270502Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:35:00 +00002012-09-17T16:55:57.642-05:00Local Media Stories Photo: Latina.com It was a simple cold call to the Chicago White Sox that changed Jessica Priego's life forever.   The 38-year-old was just featured in Latina Magazine's "Inspiring Young Latina" section for her drive and determination to succeed.  Shortly after, NBC Latino also featured Priego.   In the article, she explains how she landed the gig of a lifetime with the Chicago White Sox andhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/bXUj3aP0pV8/a-simple-phone-call.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/bXUj3aP0pV8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/a-simple-phone-call.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-5344241125040023962Fri, 14 Sep 2012 22:20:00 +00002012-09-14T17:23:12.154-05:00 Need plans for tonight? Join me at Stage Two on Michigan Ave for the Annual "Fashion for a Cure" show! The fashion show was founded by Natalie Jalouga (pictured center wearing red) to help raise money and awareness for blood cancers.  Natalie's mother was diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away in 2004. Since then, her family has been participating in "Light the Night" walks in memory of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/xR1yAH7avGQ/fashion-for-cure.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/xR1yAH7avGQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/fashion-for-cure.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-4730615500266330396Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:30:00 +00002012-09-14T16:51:39.355-05:00An emotional Derrick Rose broke down in tears at the recent launch for his new Adidas shoe. The Company showed its latest commercial, which includes video of Rose getting injured and helped off the court in April. That injury has kept him from playing the game he loves. But as the video goes on to show, Rose is pushing himself harder than ever now so that he can get back on the court.  The http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/VJKgUxfItU4/d-rose-inspires.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/VJKgUxfItU4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/d-rose-inspires.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-6877469271181245911Wed, 12 Sep 2012 22:36:00 +00002012-09-12T17:38:17.546-05:00Tonight, baseball fans at US Cellular Field will get to see something inspiring before the big White Sox game.   Photo: www.tomsfeet.com The first pitch will be thrown by Tom Willis, a man who was born without arms.  For the last several years, Willis has been touring the country.  His goal is to throw out the first pitch at every MLB stadium to get people to believe in the abilities of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/X8FFNAYM8IQ/no-hands-no-arms-no-problem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/X8FFNAYM8IQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/no-hands-no-arms-no-problem.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-330184765872362260Fri, 07 Sep 2012 04:34:00 +00002012-09-07T07:01:06.047-05:00Feature Stories A Park Ridge teen is in the running to be Glamour Magazine's 2012 "Woman of the Year".   Jen Rubino, 18, is one of 16 finalists for the magazine's Readers' Choice Award.  She's the founder of a non-profit called Cards For Hospitalized Kids.   Jen is a true inspiration!! Take a look at her touching story below to see why she created the non-profit and then click here to give her your votehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/lNXS6jwIOvo/heart-of-gold.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/lNXS6jwIOvo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/09/heart-of-gold.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733840650188125150.post-610273627902879708Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:19:00 +00002012-08-30T21:24:16.790-05:00 Get ready, INSPIREme Chicago is coming back! I've been crazy busy the last several months with a couple things and haven't had time to continue posting on INSPIREme Chicago. But life is starting to settle down a bit, so I'm super excited to start spreading the good news again! As for what I've been up to.... ~WEDDING~ I'm hitched! I had such a blast planning the big day with my husband:)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~3/tqq9ItRx3wI/back-in-saddle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah Jindra)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/inspiremechicago/ZldN/~4/tqq9ItRx3wI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.inspiremechicago.com/2012/08/back-in-saddle.html