Logan Square resident Eric Hesse plans to run the Chicago Half Marathon to raise money for charity and loves to play music.
Occupation?
Wealth Management.
How long have you lived in Logan Square?
Two years.
Why did you pick Logan Square?
My wife and I really like the creative and positive energy that the community brings to every project and establishment.
What are your favorite neighborhood hangouts?
Eat: Boiler Room (@boilerroomchi, 2210 N. California Ave.) Drink: The Whistler (@WhistlerChicago, 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave.) Do: Grab coffee at Café Mustache (@CafeMustache, 2313 N. Milwaukee Ave.) and walk Kedzie Boulevard and Palmer Square.
Besides work, what are you doing with your life?
I recently decided to run the Chicago Marathon, and thought I would adjoin my efforts to support Alzheimer’s disease prevention and treatment, which is where I came up with the idea of Mind Over Sneaker Pull tabs. I watched the disease cut my grandparents’ time together short by more than 20 years after my grandfather began to deteriorate before he turned 70. The irony is that they were the two most energetic and active people I’ve met who were both involved tirelessly in some kind of challenge whether it be mental or physical. Moreover, as one of the most underfunded of the major terminal diseases, it stands to wreak havoc on families and our healthcare system as our population becomes more at risk.
Mind Over Sneaker Pull tabs? How does that work?
Well, $20 buys you a pull tab with a marathon finishing time of your choice. If you are among those who select the closest finishing times of me or one of my teammates, good fortune will be bequeathed upon you with a fabulous prize from our sponsors. Visit my page for more information or to get involved!
Where can future friends/running mates/sponsors find you?
My group is just getting started, and I am always looking for additional teammates, as well as sponsors. If Mind Over Sneaker is interesting to you, please visit my page at or feel free to reach me directly.
What’s your running motivation?
Liberation. It’s scary and amazing what you can come up with when you spend 45 minutes to two hours a day alone with your thoughts.
Are you competitive?
Passively yes. I’ll try to win, but if you beat me, I will say it’s because I’m not very competitive.
What do you hope to find at the finish line?
A 10-foot party sub and a Sleep Number bed set to lower back pain.
I hear you used to give guitar lessons. What was your favorite song to teach?
When working with younger children (ages of 5-7), it was more difficult to get them to that breakthrough moment when it clicks and they are having fun. I found that result most often with (the Violent Femmes’) “Blister in the Sun.”
How about to play?
My music background consists of many years of piano and trumpet lessons, choir, marching band, as well as a healthy dose of garage punk bands that would play in an abandoned warehouse we found in Davenport, Iowa. It took me about two months to teach myself Jake Shimabukuro’s version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” so I will proudly play that song on repeat.
“Socializing the neighborhood” is at the core of the LoganSquarist mission, so we introduce readers to interesting and unique residents throughout Logan Square in our Know Your Neighbor column. If you know someone who would be ideal for to feature, let us know.
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