Welp, here I am again: training for my second Chicago Marathon this October. I thought last year I’d be one and done. But since I hit my two primary goals—finishing and not pooping my shorts in the process*—I kinda caught the bug.

I’d like to run it a little faster this time, but my most important goal is to raise some serious cheddar for Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, as a team member of Bad Johnny’s Good Runners, fueled by the wood-fired Roman pizza of team jefe John Pragalz.   

Mercy Home is a therapeutic home for kids in crisis in Chicago and it’s 100% privately funded. Kids live at the home and receive therapy, academic assistance, job and internship assistance, and continued AfterCare support. Your gift will give these kids the tools they need to succeed in life.

It's a damn good cause, and that’s why I’m asking for your support. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a real difference in the lives of the children Mercy Home serves. If you’re able, please click the Donate button and help me reach my fundraising goal. And. . . just like last year, donors will be richly rewarded with something spicy and/or controversial from my garden.

*As the signs say: “Never trust the fart on mile 18.”