Friday was the big day. After months of preparation, the Quincy to Peoria St. Jude Run was about to get underway. The event is a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Quincy to Peoria Run, one of 17 satellite runs, is in its third year.

The group, comprised of 51 runners and seven drivers, left the County Market parking lot in Quincy at about 5:30 p.m. I had signed up to run the first leg, only a 1.1-mile jaunt. Piece of cake, I thought. I guess I hadn’t factored in the heat and my excitement. We were running at a pretty good clip and suddenly I didn’t feel so great.

I was concerned that maybe I wasn’t up to the challenge. Fortunately, my worries were unfounded, and all went well from that point on.

Kari Heller of Astoria traveled to Quincy with her fiance Brian Blakley, who was running in memory of his son Dalton, 13. Dalton died June 27 of neuroblastoma, a very serious type of cancer. Kari planned to see Brian off and return to Astoria. She was delighted, however, to be invited to travel with the group. Though not a runner, Kari gave it her best shot and ran a few miles herself.

Tom Bell, an Astoria teacher, joined the Quincy group in Rushville and ran several miles between there and Astoria.

The Quincy to Peoria group ran relay-style through the night, arriving in Astoria at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday. We were appreciative of the well-stocked hospitality table set up at Astoria Village Park and the dozens of townspeople assembled there to greet us so early in the morning. Sally Bair, Patty VanVoorhis and their assistants had worked for weeks to ensure that everything was ready.

Barry Beck, Astoria village president, presented the Quincy group with two checks. One, in the amount of $1,000, was from money collected in St. Jude canisters around the village. A $300 check was presented from Astoria Schools.

The Astoria School District opened its doors to the runners, who took advantage of the opportunity to shower at the high school.

Off and running again, we headed toward Lewistown. We stopped at about 10 a.m. at Lewistown Church of the Nazarene, where church members prayed for the children of St. Jude and for us. Church board member Ed Smith of Lewistown shared the story of how he and his wife, Carol, had lost their 6-year-old daughter to leukemia in the 1960s when the survival rate was low. (The leukemia survival rate is now over 90 percent thanks to the work of St. Jude.) We then were presented a check for $500.

We ran through the afternoon. At one point close to Peoria, run director Rick Meehan held a meeting to ask runners if they wanted to go on in the heat. The answer was a resounding “Yes” — except for me. I had just finished a 2.5-mile leg at about 1 p.m. I knew it was going to be a challenge to finish, because I was fatigued from no sleep, I hadn’t eaten enough and I think it was about 90 degrees outside, but somehow I managed to do it. I had to skip my final 2.1-mile leg. In the end, this old lady (well, okay — not old, but definitely middle-aged) was able to put in 25 miles total.

We arrived at the Caterpillar parking lot in downtown Peoria at about 4 p.m. We were able to shower at O’Brien Stadium and prepare for the St. Jude Telethon held at the Peoria Civic Center.

All runners assembled at about 6:30 p.m., including those in the 17 satellite groups and the Memphis to Peoria contingent. We traveled in a parade of sorts for a few blocks until we arrived at the Civic Center. We were excited to be part of the festivities. Once inside the Civic Center, runners and our families were served dinner as we waited for our turn to present our check.

The Quincy group began in 2005, with 20 runners raising $11,000 that year. Last year, 36 runners brought in $28,500. The goal set by the Quincy to Peoria group this year was $35,000. In the end, the group was able to present a check for $50,200 at the telethon.

All money goes directly toward helping children who are suffering from cancer and other catastrophic diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and pediatric AIDS. Since 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has treated over 17,000 children from around the world. All children are treated regardless of ability to pay.

It’s hard to put into words how uplifting it was to participate in the St. Jude Run. I became acquainted with some wonderful people as we labored together for a common cause — not only fellow runners, but the drivers, as well. Traveling with us were five RVs, two vans and a truck, along with an Adams County deputy. These drivers were amazing, traveling at slow speeds for hours on end.

New runners are always welcome to join the group. You don’t have to be a track star. No one can run faster than the slowest person in a particular segment, so there is no danger of being forced to run faster than what you are capable of. Yes, this is a running event, but fundraising is foremost, with a financial commitment from each runner, because that’s what this event is all about.