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Join us for the
CHICAGO POTS WALK
September 21, 2025
Montrose Harbor Grove 16
Chicago, IL
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED. If you have not registered for the event and would like to join us, we invite you to register on site on Sunday September 21st. On-site registration is $40. T-shirts will not be available for on-site registrants.
Join us for the first annual Chicago POTS Walk, Sunday, September 21, 2025 in Chicago! All funds raised during this family-friendly event will support Dysautonomia International's POTS Research Fund, which has funded millions of dollars in innovative POTS research grants since 2013.
POTS Walk activities include:
- Meet fellow patients, caregivers, families and friends
- Light salty snacks and hydrating drinks
- Fun activities that don't require physical exertion like games and face painting
- A silent auction full of great items that you can bid on
- A 1 mile and 5k fun run or walk around beautiful Montrose Harbor
- Award ceremony with prizes for walk participants, fundraising and best turquoise POTS Awareness outfit
DIFFERENT WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POTS WALK:
2. Create or join a fundraising team after registering for the walk;
3. Have your family or business sponsor the walk; or
4. Donate to the walk without registering.
You can run, walk, wheelchair roll, or come out to show your support for the cause - no running or walking required! We’ll have many fun activities for everyone, so you’ll have a great time no matter how you want to participate. In-person registration also includes a complimentary t-shirt. Register before 12:01 AM on September 4th to guarantee a shirt! Same day registrations are welcome, but will not include a t-shirt. This will be a casual 5k and fun run and we will not be chip timing the race.
Registration also includes the option to create a personal fundraising page during registration. You can also create a team page or join a friend's team. Please note that in order to join or create a team, you must select that you'd like to be a personal fundraiser during registration. Once you've customized your fundraiser, ask your friends and family to donate to support POTS research.
See more details about what to expect at the POTS Walk below.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION
Can't attend in person? You an still support the cause, raising awareness, raise funds, and get a cool t-shirt by registering for the Chicago POTS Walk virtually! What virtual participation looks like is up to you: do you want to celebrate by making a donation, organizing a small group walk on the same day with your friends and family, walking 5 minutes every day in September or by dressing up in your favorite turquoise outfit to virtually cheer on the walkers? There is no official requirement to do anything after registering, but we welcome you to use your virtual registration as a way to raise awareness and raise funds.
After registering, you will have the option to create a personal fundraising page, create a team, or join a friend's team during the registration process. Please note that you have to create a personal fundraiser during registration to be able to create or join a team. Once you've customized your fundraiser, ask your friends and family to donate to support POTS research. Virtual participants are eligible for fun prizes!
Virtual registrants at the $40 level who register before 12:01AM September 4th and provide a shipping address within the continental US will receive a complimentary t-shirt! Please note that shirts for virtual participants will be mailed out AFTER the walk. Shipping t-shirts outside of the continental US is cost-prohibitive, so we cannot offer t-shirt shipping outside of the continental US.
HOW TO GET A POTS WALK T-SHIRT:
1) Register at the $40 virtual or in person registration level by 12:01 AM on September 4, 2025 to guarantee a shirt.
2) Sponsor the POTS Walk at the $250 level or above before 12:01 AM September 4, 2025 to guarantee shirts. Sponsors can also get their family name, team name, or business name on the back of the t-shirts, along with many other perks!
Please note, we can only ship shirts to addresses in the continental US.
SPONSOR THE POTS WALK
Your family, business or organization can show your support for the POTS community by becoming a Chicago POTS Walk sponsor. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about the sponsorships (events@dysautonomiainternational.org or 631-202-1720). Sponsorship payment and logos are due by 12:01AM September 4th to guarantee the above perks. Dysautonomia International reserves the right to reject sponsorship offers that aren't the right fit for our organization.
EVENT DETAILS
LOCATION
The event will take place at 601 W Montrose Dr. Lincoln (Abraham) Park, Chicago, IL 60614.
PARKING
Free street parking is available along Montrose (turn on Simonds Drive). Paid parking is available across from the Grove.
CHECK IN
Registration opens at 8:30 AM. The race will start at 9:45 AM. We suggest you come early (anytime after 8:30 AM) to pick-up your goodie bag and t-shirt at the registration desk, and to avoid any wait. If you have friends who would like to join the event who haven't registered yet, we welcome same day registrations at the event, but please note we will not have a t-shirt available for same day registrants.
WEATHER POLICY
The event is rain or shine, unless conditions are unsafe (lightening, heavy winds). We will post cancellation/postponement notices at potswalk.org/chicago if necessary.
AWARDS CEREMONY
The awards ceremony will be held after the walk, at roughly 11:45 AM to 12:00 PM.
SILENT AUCTION
Silent auction items include a variety of items from local organizations and all kinds of great, and often turquoise, Dysautonomia International swag! Winners of the silent auction will be announced during the award ceremony. You must be on-site to collect your item. Would you like to donate a gift basket or gift card for the silent auction? Contact us at 631-202-1720 or events@dysautonomiainternational.org.
REFRESHMENTS
Salty snacks and water will be provided, but we strongly suggest you bring a filled water bottle too. There will be some seating, but we encourage participants to bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket to sit on. Bringing a picnic blanket is much easier than dragging a chair around, plus you can lay down on a blanket.
BATHROOMS
Montrose Beach Park District Bathrooms open at 11am. We will have multiple porta potties available on site throughout the event.
PHOTOS
We'd love to see photos of you or your team members running, walking, wheelchair rolling, or raising awareness from home! Email us your POTS Walk photos and we may feature your photos on Dysautonomia International's social media channels and our event instagram page @ChicagoPOTSWalk
VOLUNTEERS
Want to volunteer for this event? Please reach out to events@dysautonomiainternational.org.
PRIZES
Individuals who register for the 2025 Chicago POTS Walk & Fun Run are eligible for the prizes below! Prize winners will be announced during the awards ceremony following the race on September 21st.
PRIZES FOR IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS
Medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place runners in the adult (18 and up) and kids (17 and under) categories. We'll also have a prize for the best "Make Noise For Turquoise" outfit amongst in-person registrants - no running required. So get your favorite turquoise apparel out and get ready to raise awareness for POTS!
PRIZES FOR IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL PARTICIPANTS
MOST FUNDS RAISED BY AN INDIVIDUAL
Encourage your friends and family to donate to your personal fundraising page! You''ll receive fundraising credit for your registration fees and donations to your personal fundraiser, donations made by others to your personal fundraiser, cash/check donations made to your personal fundraiser, and sponsorships your obtain. To count towards this prize, cash/check donations must be received by Dysautonomia International's main office (PO Box 596, East Moriches, NY 11940) by 12:00PM EDT September 19, 2025 and must include a note indicating that the donation is for your personal fundraiser. The personal fundraising page that has the most funds raised by 12:00 PM (Noon) EDT on September 21, 2025 will receive a Dysautonomia International Gift Pack with a pair of Cure POTS shoelaces, a Cure POTS tote bag, a Dysautonomia International branded phone charger, and a pair of Dysautonomia International turquoise awareness ribbon compression socks.
MOST FUNDS RAISED BY A TEAM
Encourage your friends and family to register, join your team, and raise funds together! The team that raises the most funds by 12:00 PM (Noon) EDT on September 21, 2025 will receive the Team Prize Package described below. Teams receive fundraising credit for registration fees and donations by your team members, online donations to your team or personal fundraising pages, sponsorships obtained by your team members, and cash/check donations raised by your team members. To count towards this prize, cash/check donations must be received by Dysautonomia International's main office (PO Box 596, East Moriches, NY 11940) by September 19, 2025 and must include a note indicating that the donation is for your team. The Team Prize Package will be provided to the Team Captain and includes a Certificate of Recognition for all team members; shout out to your team on Dysautonomia International's social media channels; and a Dysautonomia International Gift Pack for the Team Captain that includes a pair of Cure POTS shoelaces, a Cure POTS tote bag and a pair of Dysautonomia International turquoise awareness ribbon compression socks.
Individuals/Team Captains can only win one fundraising prize. If the individual with most funds raised is also the Team Captain of the team with most funds raised, they will win the Team Prize and an alternate winner will be chosen for the individual prize.
*Please note that all prizes can be shipped to winners in the continental US at no charge. If a winner would like a prize shipped anywhere outside of the continental US, the winner will be responsible for shipping fees. Final decisions on the winner from each category will be decided by Dysautonomia International.
FUNDRAISING LEADERBOARD
These are the virtual and in-person participants who are raising funds for POTS research. Register for the virtual or in-person registration and start a personal fundraising page to join this amazing community of supporters! You also have the option to create or join a team.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
GAME CHANGER
INNOVATORS
JUNIOR SCIENTIST
LAB GEEKS
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHICAGO POTS WALK CO-CHAIRS:
Hi! We are passionate patients and advocates within the dysautonomia community and we all have our own personal journeys relating to POTS. It has been a long and winding road indeed - receiving a diagnosis, seeking out knowledgeable medical professionals and treatment options, and finding a community of support.
We are firm believers that research, education, and advocacy are the keys to helping us further understand POTS. The more we research, the better the treatment options; the more we educate, the more effectively medical professionals will understand and be able to treat their POTS patients (can you believe there are still no FDA approved pharmacological treatments for POTS?), and the more we advocate, the more recognition and support we will receive.
With that said, we ask you to please join us in supporting the first annual Chicago POTS Walk. This event will fund groundbreaking POTS research and help us on our way to understanding this condition better - and ultimately, to finding a CURE! Looking forward to having you with us!
With Sincerest Gratitude,
Madison Horwitz, Kishen Mitra , Haley Schwartz, Madalyn Bagby & Shannon Linford
REGISTER
CHECKOUT
THANK YOU!
Thank you for supporting the 2025 Chicago POTS Walk & Fun Run! Below is a summary of your transaction. An email confirmation will be automatically sent in addition to this summary. If you do not receive an e-mail within the next 3 hours, please check your spam folder or email us.
Please note: If you registered for the in-person event, t-shirts must be picked up at the event on Sunday, September 21st at the registration desk. If you signed up for virtual registration with a t-shirt, your shirt will be mailed to you after the event at the end of September.
Dysautonomia International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. Please check with your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of your contribution.
Questions? Please email us.