Why I'm Running

When I hear the Christopher Reeve Superman theme, I think of my father, Gene Porter.  This was one of his favorite movies and he took the whole family to see it when it came out in 1978.  Fitting because he was a Superman, a real-life superhero in my eyes.  My dad came from nothing after him and his siblings were abandoned to an orphanage at a young age.  After running away from the orphanage as a teen and spending some time on the streets of Chicago, he met the love of his life, my mother Sharon.  My mother’s family life was not a stable one either.  Together, my parents built a family that was going to be 180 degrees different from what they knew.  They showed up for us kids, made sure we were always loved, and set examples for what family is and what it should be.  My parents always preached there was nothing more important than family.  They made memories for us kids that would last a lifetime. 

One of those memories was standing out at the local tavern with my dad, handing out drinks to runners in the Chicago marathon.  My dad loved the marathon.  He always wanted to see one of his kids run the Chicago Marathon.  Sadly, he got cancer in 1994.  After a few years of battling the disease, he eventually beat it, or more so, “survived” it.  The cancer was defeated but it took its toll on him.  My father physically was never the same after that.  Even so, it never changed his resolve or his passion for family.  To this day, his shadow looms large over his kids as well as his grandchildren.  His lessons and catchphrases still referenced today.  We were fortunate to have him for years we weren’t supposed to have but eventually, he passed in 2005.  Three years later, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer.  The following year, she left us to be with him in heaven. 

This leads me to where I am now.  I want to honor my father’s wish.  On October 11, 2026, I will be representing Advocate Health Care as a member of the charity running team at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon! As a member of the charity running team, I will be training, fundraising, and ultimately running 26.2 miles to benefit patients and families in need.  I am running to raise money for cancer center programs at Illinois Masonic.  This is my chance to honor my parents as well as the aunts and uncles in my family who have been victims of cancer.  I understand that money is tight these days and there are so many causes worthy of your time and money.  I ask you to donate if you are able to and if you can’t, please say a prayer or send good vibes to those who have been impacted by cancer.  Thank you for reading my page and giving me the opportunity to speak from the heart to you.

For Gene, for Sharon.