When Sean Wrenn, MD, lines up at the start of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this October, he won’t just be running 26.2 miles through a city he loves — he’ll be running for Rush.
Wrenn, an endocrine surgeon at Rush University Medical Center and a lifelong runner, is the driving force behind Team Rush, the official charity team raising funds for various areas at Rush through the marathon. For him, the cause is both professional and deeply personal.
“This year, a very close family member received cancer care at Rush,” Wrenn shared. “They’re doing well, and it’s made me incredibly grateful for Rush not just as an employee, but also as a family member and a patient. Supporting Rush’s vision through Team Rush means so much more now.”
Building a team around passion and purpose
The idea for Team Rush started when Wrenn noticed other hospitals had charity teams at the Chicago Marathon, but Rush didn’t. He partnered with Julie Panasik, a senior project manager at Rush, to secure the organization’s spot in the marathon’s charity program.
“Sean had the passion and experience as a runner,” Panasik said. “I helped with the paperwork and logistics. Last year was our first team, with 10 runners. This year, because of our success, the marathon granted us 15 spots, and they’ve already accepted us as a charity team for next year.”
The runners represent nearly every corner of Rush: physicians, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, administrators and students. Each participant selects a specific area of Rush that’s meaningful to them to support, from cancer research to Alzheimer’s care to women’s heart health. That flexibility, Panasik notes, makes Team Rush unique.
“Everyone has a personal story,” she said. “For some, it’s about their patients. For others, it’s about a family member who was treated at Rush. Those connections make the fundraising really meaningful.”
Running for patients and the community
For Wrenn, this year’s marathon is dedicated to the thyroid cancer program.
“It lets me bridge my passion for running with my passion for patients,” he said. “I want to support research and innovation, and I want to help patients return to normal life after surgery. Just like marathon training, recovery takes time, strength and resilience.”
That sense of purpose resonates across the team.
Harshini Bellamkonda, a medical assistant at Rush, is dedicating her run to Rush’s Heart Center for Women in Chicago.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, yet it’s often underdiagnosed and undertreated,” she said. “Supporting this clinic allows us to shine a light on an issue that affects so many women and families. The patients I see every day keep me going, even on my toughest training days.”
Although she won’t be running this year due to a lingering injury, Melanie Ball, director of strategic sourcing and value analysis at Rush, has remained a committed member of Team Rush. Her fundraising efforts in support of cancer research reflect a deeply personal mission.
“Two years ago, my late boyfriend lost his fight to brain cancer,” she said. “Rush’s cancer program is at the forefront of innovative treatments and compassionate care, and I wanted my efforts to directly support that. Fundraising allowed me to channel my training into something bigger than myself — hope for patients and progress in finding better solutions.”
Together, Team Rush’s runners embody a powerful idea: that marathon miles can translate into stronger care, research and outreach for patients across Chicago and beyond.
Creating ripples of impact
The team spirit extends beyond race day. In the weeks leading up to the marathon, Team Rush will host a community fun run near Rush University Medical Center, giving staff, patients and supporters a chance to join in and cheer them on.
On marathon morning, the runners will link up together, wearing their new Rush jerseys, before heading into the sea of more than 50,000 athletes and people cheering them along.
“The best moments are when spectators, often Rush employees or former patients, shout, ‘Go Rush,’” Wrenn said. “That’s exactly why we wanted to create this team.”
Last year, Team Rush raised more than $11,000. With more runners this year, the goal is even higher, with every donation directly supporting patient care, research and access to health services across Rush.
“Supporting Team Rush isn’t just about a race,” Ball said. “It’s about fueling the breakthroughs, care and compassion that Rush delivers every single day. Every donation, no matter the size, creates ripples of impact that extend far beyond the marathon course.”
Bellamkonda agrees.
“Supporting Team Rush means standing with the patients who inspire us every day,” she said. “Every donation, big or small, truly makes a difference in the lives of our patients and the future of health care.”
