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the tinley junction | July 13, 2017 | 5
Annual 5K puts Tinley’s Fourth of July in motion
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Freedom, fun, family, fitness
and – of course – fireworks
combined to once
again make the Tinley Park-
Park District’s Fourth of
July celebration a memorable
one.
The activity-filled Independence
Day commenced
with the 27th annual Stars
and Stripes 5K, during which
everyone from elite runners
to casual walkers converged
on McCarthy Park at 8 a.m.
on July 4 to complete the 3.1
mile course. Superintendent
of Recreation Sandra Wolff-
Chevalier enjoyed that the
event brings families out to
have some fun first thing in
the morning.
“It’s a great way to start
the day,” she said. “We pay
tribute to our military who
are fighting now and have
fought in the past. That’s
what today is all about.”
More than 400 runners
pre-registered for the event
and hundreds more took advantage
of the race-day registration
option as blue skies
and sunshine assured perfect
weather for an enjoyable 5K.
Virgen Perez-Dormann, a
Woodridge resident, and her
best friend, Lynn Hoppenrath,
a Tinley Park resident,
signed up for the Stars and
Stripes event for the very
first time this year.
“It’s good to get out there
and get some exercise, and
it’s a nice day to do it, too,”
Perez-Dormann said.
Hoppenrath said that her
friend had to do a bit of persuading
to talk her into starting
off the Fourth of July
with a run, but she was eager
to tackle the course before
returning to McCarthy Park
for the evening festivities.
“I live only a few blocks
away and I know its always
The Village of Tinley Park began its Fourth of July with the annual Stars and Stripes 5K
Run/Walk race at 80th Avenue. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
really awesome for families,
so we’ll be back later for the
fireworks,” she said.
Carolyn Gomez, of Tinley
Park, registered herself
and her daughters, Julia and
Katherine, for the 5K as a
way to be more active as a
family.
“We didn’t have a choice,
technically, she just kind of
signed us up,” said Katherine
Gomez with a big smile
on her face.
Although the original decision
may not have been
their own, both girls were
excited to participate.
“I am looking forward to
the run,” Julie Gomez said.
“I’ve done races in the past –
but not for a couple of years
– so it’s good to start getting
active again especially
to prepare for the marching
band that I’m in.”
Aimee Schatz, another
Tinley Park resident, loved
the opportunity to run with
her three sons, Declan, 11,
Brendan, 10, and Gavin, 8.
“We actually like to run
right here around the lake
at McCarthy Park,” Aimee
said. “We also run the Orland
Grassland and we like
the loop around the rec center.
If you’re just looking for
some speed work training,
it’s a good consistent place
to run.”
Although everyone who
took advantage of the beautiful
weather and participated
in the event can consider
themselves a winner,
a few runners completed
the course with impressive
times.
Matthew Gagen, of Lemont,
came in first place overall
in the men’s division with
a time of 17 minutes and 1
second. Tinley Park’s Samantha
Maciaga took home
the women’s top honor, finishing
in 19:29 and 10th
overall.
The day-long celebration
was only just getting started
as runners crossed the finish
line. Beginning at 4 p.m., activities
included a horseshoe
tournament, penny carnival,
inflatables, crafts, bingo
and the ever-popular sandy
candy station which offered
fun for the entire family.
Entertainment was provided
by Peter Oprisko, Bruce Korosa’s
Polka Band, Loopy
& Cazoo the Clowns, Dave
Fleming and the main stage
headliners, Shout Out. All
furthered the good vibes before
the Grand Finale Fireworks
Extravaganza closed
out the night.
To cap off the perfect patriotic
day, the Tinley Park-
Park District gave away a
trip to one lucky family in
honor of the 50th anniversary
of the organization.
“The winner can pick any
National Park they wish –
they’ll receive a voucher –
so that’s something a little
extra special for this year,”
Wolff-Chevalier said.
Men’s first-place finisher Matt Gagen, of Lemont, crosses
the finish line.
Let the sparks fly
Tinley Park’s Fourth of July celebration closes with
spectacular fireworks display
Tinley Park residents gather at McCarthy Park on the
evening of July 4 for a fireworks display. Photos by Adam
Jomant/22nd Century Media
Spectators look on at the display.