By Linda Girardi For the Beacon-News July 20, 2013 2:54PM
Former Pastor Steve Spear is running the equivalent of a marathon a day from coast-to-coast to raise $1.5 million for clean water in Africa. His cross-country path arrived in St. Charles on Saturday, where supporters and friends held a hometown rally for his efforts. | Linda Girardi~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 22, 2013 2:16AM
Steve Spear of St. Charles is on a mission few people have accomplished.
?It has been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,? Spear said.
Spear, 49, is running an average of a marathon a day from coast-to-coast to raise $1.5 million to provide clean water for a Kenyan village of 30,000 people.
The former pastor?s 3,243-mile path took him to St. Charles Saturday, where he was greeted with a hometown rally of about 300 friends and supporters in the parking lot of Dick Pond Athletics.
He began his run April 8 from the Santa Monica Pier in California, with a plan to reach New York City in August.
About 50 supporters joined Spear where the route began in Elburn Saturday and at two water stops in La Fox and west of St. Charles. The route crossed country roads leading to the Great Western Trail in western Kane County.
Shalise Hickman, of West Chicago, was one of the followers that joined him in the final seven-mile stretch at La Fox Road and Route 38. Another group joined him at a three-mile mark on Dean Street on the trail.
?Running with him gave me a snapshot of what he has been struggling with and persevering through. I am inspired,? Hickman said.
Spear said he is on his eighth pair of running shoes.
?Being with the energy of a group puts adrenaline in my veins,? he said.
Spear said he has had tremendous moments meeting people but other times the run has been brutal.
?I have a strong faith in God and feel his protection and the prayers of people,? he said.
Spear said for whatever reason he has a body type that seems to recover and stay immune to injury. He took up long-distance running for a cause seven years ago.
Spear left his work this year as pastor of a satellite church of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington to follow something close to his heart.
Spear initiated a ?Running for Water? campaign through Team World Vision, a Christian nonprofit organization that empowers groups and individuals to dedicate their sports and fitness goals to its efforts in Africa.
He had run a Chicago Marathon in 2007 and a 56-mile Ultra Marathon in Africa in 2009, both for Team World Vision.
His initiative was inspired by the millions of children around the world and a 7-year-old girl he met in Kenya.
Spear said he has a picture of Winnie in his RV.
?I think of her about 45 times a day, especially when it gets rough,? he said.
He said families have to walk six to 10 miles a day every day to collect contaminated water in old fuel containers, which weigh up to 50 pounds.
Spear made a mile and a half walk where Winnie and her mother draw water and after he experienced the contaminated water source and carried a container on his back it stayed on his mind.
?Water is something we take for granted,? he said.
Spear said almost a billion people on the planet don?t have access to clean water.
?It leads to disease and death and kids can?t be in school, especially girls because they are the majority of the water carriers,? he said.
He said World Vision has the largest, privately funded water project on the continent of Africa. He said $50 is all it takes for one person to have clean water for life.
For donations, visit teamworldvision.org/runningforwater.
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