On October 25th, Read & Run Chicago will lace up running shoes and hop on bikes for our next signature event: exploring Pilsen and Little Italy through the lens of Dr. Lilia Fernández’s book, Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago. We’ll visit places along the route where these communities arrived, built lives, and helped shape the city we know today, followed by a gathering at Pilsen Community Books for snacks and continued conversation.
To me, this is Read & Run Chicago at its best: moving our bodies, learning something new, supporting a local business, and connecting with people we may not have met otherwise.
Since 2021, more than 500 Chicagoans have joined us for over 140 events across more than 40 neighborhoods. We’ve followed routes built by stories, listened to authors and local experts, cheered for runners, explored new-to-us neighborhoods, and made space for people to move exactly as they are.
From October 25th through the end of the year, we’re raising $45,000 to sustain and expand our free and affordable programming as we enter Read & Run Chicago’s next chapter.
Your gift will help us:
Keep community events free and accessible
Subsidize tickets so cost is never a barrier to participation
Create thoughtful programming with authors, guides, libraries, and community partners
Support independent bookstores and local businesses across Chicago
Build a sustainable future for Read & Run Chicago as we move into our next chapter
Throughout the fall, there will be plenty of opportunities to support us in person – from purchasing ice cream at local favorite Jeni’s to making bookmarks to enjoying an evening of self-care. We want fundraising for Read & Run Chicago to feel like the organization itself: welcoming, local, and fun. Stay tuned for more information on all our upcoming events and ways to get involved.
Whether you give $10, $100, or become a monthly donor, your support helps us keep exploring.
Even after 5 years, we know Chicago is full of so many more stories worth discovering. With your help, we’ll keep discovering and moving through them together.
With gratitude,
Allison Yates
Founder, Read & Run Chicago
Read & Run Chicago is a fiscally sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions made payable to Fractured Atlas for the purposes of Read & Run Chicago are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.