The 2026 Run Today for Tomorrow 5K Run/Walk & Wellness Fair is set for June 27th, at the Jordan Block. You can sign up to participate at runsignup.com/Race/IL/Ottawa/RunTodayForTomorrow. The Wellness Fair runs from 8 AM to 1 PM, with the race beginning at 9 AM. You can register through the morning of the event. Packet pickup will be June 26th, at Small Dog Candle Co. 250-300 runners are expected.

We recently spoke with Emily Hardee, event founder and organizer, and Coodinator Renee Durdan. Emily started Run Today for Tomorrow in June of 2019, after her cousin died by suicide. She told us about how this experience led to the creation of the event.

“It was actually on the one year passing of my cousin, Molly Yacko, who we lost to suicide. We lost her on June 29th of 2018 and it was hard. And I saw the way it broke my family, and the way it broke me. And I wanted to do something because I didn’t want anybody to have to go through that pain alone,” Emily said, “I wanted to do something to help, so I’m like ‘How can I help?’ Originally, the first couple years, the money went to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Molly was a runner for cross-country and I ran in a 5K before that raised money for a good cause. I felt like it was a good way to honor her.”

“Not to sit at home on the anniversary of her passing, because I just knew that was not going to be good for anybody, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it just sitting at home by myself. I figured it might be a good way to raise awareness and raise proceeds for a good cause. It’s turned into a great thing, it really has. It breaks my heart year-after-year, and doing this is really, really hard for me to do, because there’s so many stories. We go to the same sponsors and we go to new sponsors, but then we hear new stories, and new struggles, and new heartbreaking catastrophes, and it’s hard. But I realize why I’m doing what I’m doing. Because of the people that say it helps, of the people that say ‘We need this.’ And that’s why I keep doing it, even though it’s really, really hard on me. I’m a fixer. And that’s what sucks about this, is because I feel like there’s always fixing to do and people that need help. And mental health isn’t talked about enough. And it needs to be talked about, because people need to know that they’re not alone,” she said.

Emily expressed that she was very much interested in making sure the funds raised by the event stayed local. She told us more about her thought process for keeping funds local and how they’re used to benefit the community.

“And some of the things that I felt like community needed with mental health was I feel like people struggling financially shouldn’t have to worry about that. And that shouldn’t be a barrier to them getting the help that they need. And the other thing was we need more people in the field, because there’s so many wait lists and everything if you want to go get the help. And I just felt like those were two of the issues that I’m like, ‘Maybe I can do something to help with that.’ So we worked with Starved Rock Country Community Foundation. I actually applied to a grant through them for physical education,” Emily said.

By working with the Starved Rock Community Foundation, Emily was able to create the Molly Lenora Yacko Memorial Scholarship and the Run Today for Tomorrow Field Interest Fund. The scholarship is given to students going into the mental health field, with hopes they will work in LaSalle County. Recently, the organization was able to offer two of these scholarships to its recipients. The Run Today for Tomorrow Field Interest Fund serves to assist those who might not normally be able to afford the care they need. Through the Youth Service Bureau, they created the Run program, which helps provide a treatment program for mental health, as opposed to a single session. Currently, there are plans to open it up to all mental health services in the county. This has also been RTFT’s biggest grant year yet, with the organization giving out $28,000 worth of grants. Because of this, Arukah’s Therapeutic Mentoring Initiative was awarded a $5,000 grant to support youth and families.

New this year for the event, is the wellness fair. Emily and Renee told us about what attendants can expect to see at the event, as well as the resources available at the fair.

“What we’ve realized working in this field and doing what we do, is the fact that people who are struggling need to know what the resources are. So you don’t wait until you’re at rock bottom to try to find something. You need to know what your resources are, especially if somebody else were to come to you and need help, you want to be able to help them as well, or people that come to us. That’s my goal of the wellness fair,” Emily said.

“We’ve always had a few resources at our run,” Renee said, “I think last year we had eight. This year, we have 40. That’s including the van. We have 39 on the list, 40 with the van. Anywhere from physical to mental health to opportunities to get involved in the different things in the community. To the emotional support cow that we have coming from the Seneca area… And all of that we have is free. So there’s no charge for anything. We’ve made sure that all of our resources. Although they might be offering discounts to future services or whatnot, they are not selling anything at the event, even down to OSB has sponsored our face painting. And we have three food trucks coming too.”

“But in the past, it’s usually typically been mental health providers that we invite out so people know where to get help,” Emily added, “There has been a couple others as well, but mental health is not just solved by going to mental health providers. There’s so much more to it. Your overall health and wellness. So that’s why I want people to know what their resources are like, not just what the mental health resources are. I want them to know where they can go for physical health and wellness. I want them to know where they can go for social or emotional, because the social aspect is so important. Meeting all eight dimensions of health and wellness, that’s really what I wanted. I want people to know what their resources are, because I am just a PE teacher, I don’t know what other resources are. I feel like we need this in our community,” she said, “I feel like mental health affects everybody. And the more I do this and I realize how needed it is and that’s the reason that keeps me going. But I feel like because it affects everybody, people see what we’re doing. And whether it’s them personally that it’s affected or a friend or a loved one, they want to know what they can do to help.”

Other things that will be available include food trucks from Tony’s Tacos, Flo’s on Pulaski, and Bean Box Espresso. Renee told us more about the resources at the wellness fair.

“Each resource was asked if they wanted to do a presentation. So we’re actually going to have three different tents that will have different types of different presentations going on… For example, Dementia Friendly is going to speak about their Dementia Friends program. Safe Journey is going to talk about abuse and mental health. Empowering Minds is going to talk about mental health and teens. So those are just a few of them, and those will start around 11:30 and go till 1… And then from 11 to 1, we’re going to have Paige Afton singing up on the stage. So we’ll have some background music going on,” Renee said.

“OSF On-Call Caravan is going to be there providing free health screenings to everyone who comes by so make sure you come by just to get screened,” Emily added.

Returning this year, are the wellness brochures that list all of the resources at the event, including speaking times. There will be a spot on the brochure where attendants can write down their name and number. Each resources will have stickers that attendants can collect as they explore the fair. Those who get 15 stickers will be entered into a drawing for prizes, such as gift certificates, ice cream certificates, and other goodies. There will also be ribbon pins with differing colors to visualize the different reasons that people might choose to participate. These help symbolize the unity in the event. Also, the first 50 non-runners to visit the information table will receive a free tote bag. Runners will automatically receive a tote bag.

We also got to hear a bit about the community collaborations involved in the event.

“SS Shirts n More are making the t-shirts and the sponsor bags and doing so much for us fundraising. Primary Market’s making the medals and scholarship plaques. Boomin Vinyl sponsored all of our banners. HR imaging, doing a wonderful job printing resources and flyers that we need last minute. Party Harty Karaoke will be going on when Paige Afton is not playing, so there will be music going along with an emcee and announcing race medals and our winners,” Emily said.

“But none of this could have been done without any of our sponsors. We have people that say, ‘Oh, I can only give $100,’ and that’s still making an impact, and that’s still doing something, and that’s putting somebody through a treatment program.”

“That $100 is most likely one treatment, that’s huge when you look at it at that perspective,” Renne added, “I can say this year just going through things and then seeing some more donations come in, this will most likely be our biggest year. Our grants alone in 2025 is more than what we even brought in year one.”

As our interview came to a close, we asked Emily and Renee why they think it’s important for a town like Ottawa to have an event like Run Today for Tomorrow.

“To Write Love on Her Arms, phrased it really well. And they’re a great organization. And it’s people need other people, and you need other people to know that you’re not alone, you need other people to carry you when things are too heavy. And whether that’s friends, family, spouses. These resources that are coming here that are here for you and to help you. People need to know that they’re not alone. And I feel like that’s being there day-of is huge, and you’re going to see how overwhelming the love and support is on Event Day from other people. And it’s a great feeling to know that you’re not alone. And a great way to bring hope to the community that really needs it,” Emily said.

“Some days,” Renne said, “I know that Emily thinks, ‘Why am I doing this?’ And I actually had a student that I just knew she was a high school student. And she came and volunteered one year, and she said, ‘Thank you for letting me volunteer for this.’ And I said, ‘Oh, you’re welcome. I’m like, okay, I got all these kiddos helping me volunteer, these high school kiddos.’ And she said, ‘No, I had a really close family member commit suicide, and you probably didn’t know that, but this is helping me cope with that.’ Just hearing the kiddos say that… We get a lot of students in the community that come help or come do the event. I mean, last year I think she had four of her old gymnasts show up the day of and say they were running and did it.”

“We’ve got a solid committee that is making sure that there’s so much. Our committee members are Emily, Eric Yacko, Megan Jones, Dawn Arevalo, Shaley Wade, Kim Foster, Shelly Swartz. Carrie Riva, and Laura Gruenwald But it’s people that put time and effort into something.”

Run Today for Tomorrow is set for June 27th, with the run beginning at 9 M, and the wellness fair beginning at 8 AM. For more information, check out their official website. Thank you so much to Emily and Renee for coming in to speak with us!