Loved ones hosting 5K on Sunday for longtime Joliet daycare provider ‘GaGa Cindy’

In just one month, the family of Cindy Kolodziej of Joliet has raised nearly half of its $100,000 goal on the “GaGa Cindy needs our help” GoFundMe page.

Cindy’s loved ones are also hosting a 5K run this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 411 Rollingtood Lane.

“We have tons of raffles and giveaways - everything from beers tickets, to liquor baskets, to autographed Sox items and other prizes,” Cindy’s daughter-in-law Amber Kolodziej of Joliet said in an email.

Cindy, a home daycare provider for more than 35 years, is being treated signet ring cell carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that can start in various organs, most commonly the stomach. In Cindy’s case, it began in her colon, making that cancer extremely rare, according to the National Institute of Health.

In an Aug. 22 Herald-News story, Amber said she started the “GaGa Cindy needs our help” GoFundMe account for Cindy, to help pay for medical expenses and replace some of Cindy’s lost income.

“She thought she’d be watching kids until she was 80 and couldn’t do it anymore,” Amber said in the story. “She never thought of stopping.”

The cost per runner is $20 donation to Cindy’s GoFundMe page at gofund.me/61a2f462.

Or runners may pay through Zelle: 708-610-4870, Venmo: 815-342-5319 or @kristen-wyss, PayPal: 815-295-2627 or @amberkolo or ApplePay: 815-295.-2627.

Kids are welcome and free.

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