Sister Stephanie Baliga sprinted through the 16th straight Chicago Marathon, hauling a whopping $500,000 for the local food pantry—her 15‑year streak just hit a fresh milestone.
But it wasn’t always a charity run. At nine she laced up her first shoes, and by college she was the sixth‑fastest freshman in the nation—running wasn’t just a hobby, it was her identity. One fractured foot in her sophomore year, however, dropped the beat from her sneakers to her prayers, and she switched lanes from the track to the altar.
The marathon team started with a modest $20,000 haul in its first year, and over 15 years that ballooned to $2.6 million. Now, with the 16th race, the $500,000 target is already halfway met—$184,000 raised from the full marathon and an additional $16,000 from a prep half marathon. Father Bob Lombardo says the food pantry now serves 400–500 families weekly, plus 300 senior deliveries each week.
Supporters have turned the event into a rally—signs read “You vati‑CAN do it” and “May God have mercy on your soles,” even a cardboard cutout of Pope Leo floated in the crowd. The race isn’t just about miles; it’s about miles of impact, and the team’s message is clear: “The Lord provides.”
With the marathon finished, the next sprint is ensuring the pantry can keep feeding the community. The team’s next challenge? Expanding services to meet the pandemic‑era surge while keeping the fundraising momentum alive for the coming year.