Rain poured steadily and temperatures barely climbed above 50 degrees Sunday morning, but that didn’t stop hundreds from packing the tent at The Children’s Farm at The Center for Dash for Den 2025.
The eighth annual 5K walk and run, held Oct. 19, honored the life of Dennis Ramar and raised awareness about the opioid epidemic while supporting The Center’s Pathway to Sobriety program. Despite the cold, gray skies and steady drizzle, the turnout was the largest in the event’s history.
“I am in total shock at the amount of people that came out in this weather,” said Mark Ramar of Homer Glen, Dennis’s father. “This is by far the worst weather we’ve had but also the largest turnout. People are great and totally dedicated to the cause.”
Dennis, who passed away in February 2018 at just 30 years old after a decade-long battle with addiction, was remembered as a kind, talented young man with a love for sports, cooking, music, and animals. A graduate of Lockport High School and Illinois State University, he explored various recovery paths, including yoga, meditation, and programs like The Center’s Pathway to Sobriety.
Pathway to Sobriety is a long-term residential recovery program for men that focuses on healing the body, mind, and spirit. Participants live and work on the farm while receiving guidance in recovery. The nonprofit program is fully funded through donations and does not charge participants, their families, or insurance companies.
Dennis joined the program in 2015, and his family continues to raise awareness about addiction and the growing danger of fentanyl — a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the CDC, more than 150 people die each day from synthetic opioid overdoses, and in 2022 alone, 73,654 lives were lost to fentanyl.
Among the hundreds in attendance was Bonnie Tongsom, community outreach coordinator for HERO — Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization. She lost her brother to addiction 16 years ago and has dedicated her life to advocacy and overdose awareness.
“We fought for our loved ones while they were here, but we are not ready to stop the fight,” Tongsom said. “We are here to honor them. This is what it is all about.”
Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters also joined the crowd, calling the event a vital community effort.
“This event helps to fund the Pathway to Sobriety Program at The Center, and just being able to be here to support the cause is so important to me,” she said.
Mark Walker, director of Pathway to Sobriety, praised the participants’ dedication.
“Dash for Den is a healing day,” he said. “It brings together sadness and joy, fear and hope, addiction and recovery. We’re proud to destigmatize and humanize addiction while showing that recovery is something to be proud of.”
Funds raised through the event support the men currently in recovery at Pathway to Sobriety. Last year’s Dash for Den raised more than $25,000, and this year’s total is expected to match or exceed that. Donations can still be made at thecenterpalos.org/dash-for-den by selecting “Dash for Den” from the dropdown menu.
Dash for Den represents resilience, honors Dennis’s life, and unites the community in the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis — even on a cold, rainy October morning.
