Running for a good cause

In the Saturday morning cold, Jeanine Reyes waited for a gunshot to signal the start of the 15-kilometer Hot Chocolate Run for Bears.

With each step she took along the trail as part of the day's Hot Chocolate 15k, the university alumna raised money for the Build-a-Bear Workshop to send stuffed animals to children's hospitals, totaling $570. And because Reyes hopes to become a pediatrician, the cause was close to her heart.

Reyes, who graduated from this university with a biological sciences degree in the spring, said she plans to apply to medical school next year and hopes to work with children after obtaining her degree. She volunteers at the neonatal intensive care unit at Howard County General Hospital and works as an emergency room scribe in Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Although she enjoys the entire hospital atmosphere, Reyes said her passion lies in pediatrics.

"I love the experience as a whole, but I love the pediatric side," she said. "In middle school, we took a trip to a children's hospital and played with children who were terminally ill, and I envisioned this Build-a-Bear Workshop to be like that, so the kids have something to enjoy and to ease the situation and to stop worrying about their medical situations. They're still kids, and it's not fair that they have these illnesses."

Reyes raised $570 to donate to UMPS CARE Charities, the non-profit established by Major League Baseball umpires that helped sponsor Saturday's race. Runners could choose to raise money to benefit a charity — including Build-a-Bear or the Ronald McDonald House — but others attended just to enjoy a jog at National Harbor.

Each bear costs between $20 and $25 for the organization to build, Reyes said, and each runner benefitting a charity had to raise at least $350. She turned to family and friends for donations.

"There was a minimum fundraising goal … but I wanted to make it $500," she said. "I wanted them to be able to make at least 20 bears, and it was awesome because I did it."

Rachel Devadas, Reyes' college roommate and best friend from high school , joined her in the race but did not fundraise for a cause.

The run's cause fit Reyes' interests perfectly, Devadas said .

"She wants to be in pediatrics, so I think it's awesome, and this is exactly what she wants to do," said Devadas, who graduated from this university in the spring with an economics degree. "It was very fitting for her, and I think it's great that she did it. I'm very supportive of her and it was heartwarming to see her do this."

She and Reyes have been running together for years, and both said they plan to participate in next year's race. After seeing the money Reyes raised, Devadas said she hopes to fundraise for next year's run, too.

While Reyes benefits charitable organizations through runs, she also reaps personal rewards.

"I used to think I couldn't run more than a mile, and now I run more than 13 in various half-marathons," Reyes said. "I have asthma on top of it and running really helps me with my breathing. Every mile is another challenge, but it's fulfilling."

Races like this are part of how Reyes said she hoped to pass time between college and medical school, in addition to traveling and visiting friends and family.

"Whenever I run, I usually try to run for a cause to make the experience more enriching," said Reyes. "I'm helping other people but also helping myself by being active. I love volunteering, and this was an easy way because I also love running."

egan@umdbk.com