More than 250 people took part in the annual One Step at a Time 5K run/walk for The Cove School of Northbrook on Sept. 9 in Libertyville at Independence Grove.
Saturday morning’s sunny, banner weather was 71 degrees for the 9 a.m. run/walk start. The school’s mascot, a plush cougar, was on hand to cheer on participants.
Approximately $25,000 is raised by the run/walk event which has an event history of more than one decade. All proceeds help to provide educational resources, specialized programs and support for students at The Cove School.
“The school serves kids with complex learning disabilities from the whole Chicago area,” said Alexandra Argentar of Buffalo Grove, director of advancement at The Cove School.
“We currently have students coming from over 60 school districts, that includes the City of Chicago, that includes Lake County, Cook County, DuPage County, we have a student coming from Milwaukee (Wisconsin)) … comes every day, we have a student that comes from Indiana every day.
“There’s no other school like Cove,” Argentar said. “It serves kids in the unique environment that we have.”
An estimated 165 students are served at The Cove School from kindergarten through 12th grade. The Cove Career Center is the school’s latest addition in downtown Northbrook, opening last October, with additional accommodations for 18 young adults. The Cove School began in 1947.
Sally L. Sover, executive director of The Cove School, liked the name of the 5K event as being one step at a time.
“That’s our theme,” Sover said. “We think it just speaks to, you know, how everyone just has to take one step at a time as we move forward with all of the important work that our kids have to do.
“We have to understand and accept where they are and take them to the next level,” Sover said.
People were seen greeting each other with high fives and hugs. Extended family members gathered to support their loved ones as they gathered as a school community.
“And that’s what today (Sept. 9) is about too,” Sover said, “is bringing the families together.”
Gayle Kalmin of Highland Park, the parent of Grace, 17, a Cove senior, was a race day volunteer.
“Cove is just a tremendous place,” Grace’s mother said. “These kids and the families in this community, it is serving such a great need and the people who have that need and whose needs are being filled by the school are so appreciative.
“It’s just a great community.”
Don Law of Jefferson Park, of The Cove School Class of 2014, and parent Teresa Law attended.
Don wanted to be here on Saturday, “to support my school … love it a lot.”
Teresa Law said, “Cove is a very special place.
“They take children with just lots of different talents and help nurture them and grow as people,” Teresa Law said. “It’s just a very special place.”
Colleen Montgomery of Highland Park was race director of the bib chip timed race.
“It’s the most amazing race ever for the precious, special school of Cove,” Montgomery said. “It’s such an amazing school.”
Participant Stephanie Feldman of Highland Park was here, “to support my family and friends.”
The first finisher of the 5K was John Schweihs, 13, an eighth-grader from Glenview.
The racecourse was, “good, I liked it,” Schweihs said, adding the Independence Grove running surface was flat, “for the most part.
“There was a little bit of uphill and some downhill but mostly flat.”
Schweihs finished with a time of 20:33 and said it, “feels really good,” to have been the first finisher.
“The weather was great,” Schweihs said.
Visit https://www.coveschool.org.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
