By Claire Perkins

The Arlington Heights Rotary Club put on the fourth annual Santa Run Saturday morning, where over a thousand people donned red Santa suits, complete with white beards, to run or walk a 5k, with all of the money from sponsors and registration fees going to charity work.

The Rotary Club’s charity work, which consists of local, national and international efforts.The $23 registration fee that every participant pays all goes towards things such as Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gifts, and Eradicate Polio.

That registration fee does not purchase a Santa suit, however. Each of the $23 that every participant pays is a donation.

“Sponsors essentially pay for every part of the run,” Dominic Gualtieri, the race director, said.

The Rotary Club sets a goal every year for more sponsors. They want larger businesses as well as sports stores such as Sports Authority. They also target local stores such as Runner’s High ‘n Tri to sponsor the Santa Run, since it is a community event.

The Santa Run is an opportunity for everyone to get involved. Gualtieri said that everyone participates, including “grandma, grandpa, mom, and dad.”