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T he Enterprise Officer Your Complete Source For Plainfield News Since 1887
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Volume 124 No. 43
www.enterprisepublications.com
Serving Will and Kendall counties
By Sherri Dauskurdas Staff Reporter
‘On The Run’
Plainfield cop runs cross-country to raise funds for girl’s struggle with leukemia
Submitted Photos
INSIDE
Above: Aubrey Brooks Right: Officer Martin VanHeeswijk is running a marathon every 30 days, in cities across the country, to raise funds and awareness for a little girl’s struggle with leukemia.
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Officer Martin VanHeeswijk is on the run, again. He runs one hundred miles a month, 126.2 to be exact. VanHeeswijk is running a marathon every 30 days, in cities across the country, to raise funds and awareness for a little girl’s struggle with leukemia. The 24-year police veteran began running last fall after participating in the Marine Corps marathon in Washington.After seeing other runners competing for charitable causes, he began searching for a cause of his own. He found that purpose when a flier crossed his desk, raising money through a golf outing for the treatment of little Aubrey Brooks, the 4-year-old daughter of Channanhon police officer Matt Brooks. Aubrey was diagnosed with preB-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January, and the child began chemotherapy just hours later. While VanHeeswijk didn’t know Matt Brooks personally, the cause touched his heart. “So I e-mailed colleagues, coworkers, people in the village,” he said. “It’s been word-of-mouth mostly. I let them know that I am paying my own way to all these runs, and that whatever they donate will go directly to Aubrey’s fund.” The money helps the Brooks family with gas to get to and from the hospital and other expenses not covered by insurance. Most people donate $5 or $10 a race, he said, all on the promise that he finishes a minimum of one race each month. So, VanHeeswijk is running for Aubrey. He runs primarily on the Rock and Roll Marathon series, which boasts more than 500,000 runners in 24 North
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“...when you are running for something important, you just push a little harder,”
Martin VanHeeswijk, Plainfield police officer
American cities each year. The races have become a successful platform for charity fundraising with more than $235 million raised to date. VanHeeswijk has completed six marathons so far, and he is looking at 14 total through 2012. He’s been to Dallas, Texas and St. Petersburg, Fla. He’s run the miles through San Diego, Calif. and Nashville Tenn. He said the race failed to surprise in Phoenix, where it was dry and hot. But his European run, in the Netherlands, saw temperatures of 38 degrees and rain. Last week, he was in Portland, Oregon. “It about killed me,” he said with a laugh. “The whole first half was uphill.” Like most marathon runners, VanHeeswijk has endured bad weather and injury, jet lag and fatigue. “But when you are running for something important, you just push a little harder,” he said. VanHeeswijk will continue that push to Seattle in June, then Chicago, Providence, Denver, St. Louis, Savannah and Las Vegas to end the year. He’s running the Air Force Marathon in Washington in September, and hopes to train next year to compete in a triathlon circuit. Anyone wishing to donate, can contact VanHeeslik at the Plainfield Police Department or donate directly to Aubrey’s fund at any BMO Harris Bank to the Aubrey Brooks Benefit Fund, #48085148.