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Norwood Park Police Officer and Firefighter Set to Climb the Aon Center

By Heather Cherone | January 20, 2015 5:35am
 It takes 1,643 steps to get to the top of 80-story Aon Center.
It takes 1,643 steps to get to the top of 80-story Aon Center.
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Flickr/Kristin Nador

NORWOOD PARK — A Norwood Park police officer and her firefighter husband are preparing to climb the stairs of one of Chicago's tallest skyscrapers to raise money for the Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

Kelli Kaelin and her husband, Rick, plan to strap their two daughters Sara, 3, and Anna, 1, onto their backs and climb the 80-story Aon Center on Sunday to raise money as part of the Aon Step Up for Kids event.

Kaelin is the captain of a team made up of Chicago police officers that has participated in the annual event since 2012, when she made the climb with a friend whose child was being treated for cancer at Lurie Children's Hospital.

A 10-year veteran of the police force and a long-distance runner, Kaelin said she trains for the 1,643-stair climb like she would for a 5K race but adds squats and lunges to her workouts.

The event is expected to raise more than $600,000 for the hospital’s family service department, which helps families as they deal with their children’s health issues.

For more information, go to luriechildrens.org/stepup2015 or call 312-227-7298.

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