CHICAGO — Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) finished the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, bringing in thousands for Special Olympics in the process.
O'Shea raised $6,441 for Special Olympics. He's been involved with Special Olympics for more than a decade and was recently named to its board of directors. Special Olympics, which is based in Chicago, has more than 5,000 athletes compete and train in sports.
Special Olympics is "near and dear" to O'Shea, he said. He was raised to do whatever he could for people with special needs, and the organization "strikes a chord" with him, he said.
"It's a very worthwhile cause," he said. "You don't need to tell anybody all the great things the Special Olympics do."
O'Shea finished in 4 hours, 32 minutes and 17 seconds. It was the first marathon he had run in six years, and it left him "very sore," he joked on Monday.
"It was an unbelievable experience," O'Shea said. "What an unbelievable response, to be running through these streets lined with three and four and five people deep, cheering and whistling and shaking cowbells and playing music and dancing. And all the while they're yelling, flashing great signs — there were some unbelievable signs I saw.
"I could see myself doing Chicago again."
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