Thank you to everyone who was part of the sold-out crowd at the Latinos Progresando Associates Board happy hour event at Revolution Brewing on August 4th. A special thanks to Raiza Mendoza and Gift of Hope for their ongoing support of LP's Dr. Angela Perez Miller Scholarship Fund.

See you all at the next one!

Running is something that I have always enjoyed and have found a center with. The challenges and tremendous hard work of training and running a marathon will prove to be both rewarding and humbling.

I'm ready to step out of my comfort zone and reap the rewards of commitment and perseverance on both a personal and physical level. Plus, it's a "bucket list" item! The immigrant community is a growing demographic that contributes to the success and richness of what makes our country a true and beautiful melting pot.

Promoting social justice and the power of building stronger communities together and ensuring access to all is something I am passionate about. I want to do my part by helping raise awareness and funds that will help Latinos Progresando continue programming for the community.

My first attempt at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2011 was a complete failure-I didn't show up for fear of not completing it. I signed up again in 2012, and again with the fear of not finishing, I ran out of gas at the half-way point. Not willing to give up in 2013, I came back and with some fear in me, I pushed myself to the finish line. So, in 2014 I came back and finished with a better than anticipated time. This year, in 2015, I lost all fear and I can't wait to face the challenge that once dominated me in October.

Latinos Progresando's executive director, Luis Gutierrez is a personal friend of mine. We grew up on the same block and attended the same school during our grammar school years. His work speaks volumes, and the future is full of opportunities for the organization and what they have yet to accomplish. For these reasons, I chose to #Run4Latinos.