Team Reeve® in the Windy City

Posted by Reeve Staff in Daily Dose on August 27, 2015 # Team Reeve

Meet a few of our Team Reeve® members participating in the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. They have been training hard and raising money to help support the Reeve Foundation mission. We got the chance to speak with them to learn more about who they are and why they are running for Team Reeve Chicago.

What made you decide to run for Team Reeve?

Gina Santucci
My brother became paralyzed several year back due to an unexpected malpractice. Since then, he has been paralyzed from the hip down and goes to intensive therapy that has helped him function in this new lifestyle. NextSteps Chicago, his rehab facility that is part of the Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network, has offered him so many positive opportunities that have showed him how to live with paralysis. When I learned that I could run for the Reeve Foundation and that my donations would help not only my brother, but also his friends and others, my heart was sold!
Lance Martin
My wife is a trauma surgeon, so she sees patients with spinal cord injuries far too often. I also had a good friend growing up whose younger brother sustained a spinal cord injury. I love the Chicago Marathon, and I wanted to make this year's race more meaningful by supporting Team Reeve.
Andrew Schmitz
I live on the Chicago Marathon route and have always been inspired watching all of the athletes. The energy from all of the runners and spectators is always amazing. So last year, I decided I wanted to run it before my 30th birthday in October. Right around the time registration opened, I was forwarded an e-mail that Team Reeve was looking for runners from my Aunt Julie, who has been living with a spinal cord injury since 2003. I immediately responded that I'm interested. I had such a great experience last year that I decided to join Team Reeve again this year.
Michelle Menezes
I've always wanted to run the Chicago Marathon, and I thought there was no better way to make my first marathon even more meaningful and memorable than running with Team Reeve in support of JD Bruning. JD is my boyfriend's brother who I have had the pleasure to get to know in the last two years that I have been dating Bobby. We started dating not long after JD's accident and I have watched JD progress over the years. Being a part of Team Reeve and raising money to find cures for spinal cord injury means the opportunity to help JD continue to fight and progress.

Show your support for these members as they race for our cause in the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon as part of Team Reeve.

Learn More about Team Reeve.

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The National Paralysis Resource Center website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $8,700,000 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.