When Jim MacRunnels passed away on Nov. 18, the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association lost more than a generous donor.
Over the years the late Sugar Grove man and his wife Colleen have helped raise nearly $2 million as members of Maple Park Supports Special Olympics Athletes, with the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association this year alone receiving $100,000. But Jim MacRunnels, a financial advisor who died at age 68 from cancer, had far more to give than money.
Jim “embodied the spirit” of those who are involved in special recreation, said Marcie Lucas, Fox Valley Special Recreation Association development coordinator. And never was that more evident than in a corner of Bootleggers Bar, Grill and Pizza in Maple Park, where he and Colleen faithfully joined dozens of special rec athletes and their families nearly every Wednesday evening.
There, “Jimmy not only showed up,” he “laughed loudly. He welcomed others in. He reminded us, sometimes without even trying, that being together is what matters most,” Lucas said to the crowd of 60 people who gathered recently to remember the man many regarded as “our fearless leader.”
They also met on this special Wednesday to dedicate that corner of the restaurant to their beloved friend and benefactor. The evening included Fox Valley Special Rec unveiling a purple neon sign that read “Jimmy’s Crew,” which Lucas described as the “perfect message” because “Jimmy always had a crew – he brought people together and made you feel like you belonged just by sitting next to him.”
As a special needs parent and former volunteer with Fox Valley Special Recreation Association who, for the past three years has been on staff as a grant writer and fundraiser, Lucas is well aware of how important MacRunnels was to this organization, which serves about 40 group homes across the Fox Valley.
With SNAP benefits altered, “the little money” many of these residents get in state funding – about $100 – has to cover personal needs as well as activities, she told me. And that “does not leave them with enough to keep active” without scholarships.
“Special Olympics sports are not cheap,” Lucas said, noting the tax dollars from more than a half dozen park districts that go directly to FVSRA is “still not enough” to cover the costs.
As an example, she pointed to the $248 fee for the track and field program, which can be “unaffordable when living in a group home.”
The MacRunnels Foundation provided 91 scholarships this year, which in addition to sports, also includes activities such as strength and conditioning, walking and nature hikes, Lucas told me.
“If we did not have this fund, I’d be on the corner (begging) with a cup,” she admitted.
“He loved these athletes,” said Colleen MacRunnels, “and would do anything for them.”
The feeling was mutual. After the unveiling of the neon sign, the families, who consider this weekly event a place to network and socialize, ate pizza and shared their many stories of her late husband, who graduated with a degree in parks and recreation but never lost sight of what these inclusive programs can mean for individuals and their loved ones.
In his obituary, it was noted that Jim “made sure no one ever felt left out,” and referred to the athletes as “his posse.” No one knows that more than Rick Dickens and his wife Patti, longtime members of this active Maple Park group which has been partnering with the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics for many years.
Their son Dusty, a decorated Special Olympics athlete, was close to MacRunnels, and in fact, considered him one of his “best buddies,” said Dickens. But that’s the impact Jimmy had on all the athletes and their families, he insisted. Plus, “he had so many connections and great ideas when it came to fundraising,” added wife Patti. “He was always thinking outside the box.”
Still, MacRunnels never failed to point out that the success of this Maple Park group, which not only donates to the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association but also to Opportunity House and Special Olympics, comes not from one or two individuals but from a strong team.
Or in this case, the crew.
For Lucas, the new neon sign is more than a light on the wall, “it is a promise that Jimmy’s spirit, friendship and joy will continue to shine here every single Wednesday,” she told those who had gathered at Bootleggers.
“He made our community stronger. He made our lives fuller. And he will always be part of this crew.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
