Hero Spotlight: Pete Miscinski

When Pete Miscinski started running in his late forties, he never imagined it would lead him to the birthplace of the marathon. 

"I always call it my midlife crisis," he said with a laugh.

 
Fifteen years later, the longtime Mercy Home Heroes supporter is preparing to run the Athens Marathon in Greece this November while continuing to raise funds for the young people at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. 

Born and raised in Chicago, Pete works as a CPA for a company that manages fitness centers. Despite spending much of his career around health and wellness, running didn't become part of his life until later. 
After completing his first marathon in 2011, he ran another the following year before discovering Mercy Home's Heroes endurance fundraising program. 

"My wife, Natalie, was a big Mercy Home supporter," Pete said. "We had been to a few events, so it was the perfect fit. It got me hooked." 
Since then, Pete has participated in Mercy Home fundraising efforts nearly every year possible. What began as a personal challenge quickly became a mission. 

Over time, he improved from finishing marathons in about five hours to eventually qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Although injuries and a partial knee replacement forced him to step away from racing in 2022 and 2023, he never stopped supporting Mercy Home.

 
"That's when I first used Heroes Choice and continued to fundraise," he said. 

Heroes Choice allows supporters to choose their own athletic challenge while raising money for Mercy Home's young people. Even when Pete couldn't run, his supporters continued to rally around the cause. 

"In some ways, I think I'm the perfect candidate for charity fundraising," Pete said. "Because I'm a little bit older, I have a network of people and prior jobs. I've been blessed to have a regular base of supporters year after year." 

Pete is always quick to redirect the credit. 

"It's not all me," he said. "It's all these other people that have been so loyal and supportive." 

That network has grown in unexpected ways. 

One of Pete's passions outside of running is music. For more than three decades, he has followed Chicago singer-songwriter Michael McDermott. Over the years, the two developed a friendship that eventually led to fundraising concerts benefiting Mercy Home. 

This August 29th, Pete, McDermott, and his wife Heather, will host their sixth benefit concert together at the Maple Street Chapel in Lombard. 

"Michael is a great singer and songwriter," Pete said. "His fans are socially aware and incredibly generous." 

The concerts, along with silent auctions and individual donations, have helped generate significant support for Mercy Home. 

What began with family, friends, and coworkers has expanded into a larger community of supporters united by a shared commitment to Mercy Home's mission. 

"The generosity around this group of people, and they've now become loyal Mercy Home followers and supporters, is incredible," Pete said. 
Last year, Pete fulfilled another running goal when he participated in the New York City Marathon. 

This year, he is looking forward to a different experience. 

On Nov. 8, Pete will race the Athens Marathon alongside a group of longtime running friends, many of whom he met through Chicago-based running organization CARA. 

One friend said that he would run his final marathon this year, inspiring the group to choose a destination worthy of the occasion. 

"This is where the first one was run," Pete said, referring to the Greek military legend of Pheidippides, which ultimately inspired the modern marathon. "I'm looking forward to doing something different but continuing to fundraise for Mercy Home." 

While the setting may change, Pete's motivation remains the same. 
"I have a tremendous belief in the mission of Mercy Home," he said. "To see the transformation in the kids and the tremendous work that Mercy Home does... it's incredible to see the difference that it makes." 
For Pete, however, the race is about much more than crossing another finish line. 

"It's been a perfect storm of all my passions and interests coming together to help Mercy Home," he said.  ... "To have more people learn about Mercy Home through my advocacy and the concerts over the years is tremendous," Pete said. "It shakes me to the core." 

For more information on this year's benefit concert on August 29, visit the link: 
Michael McDermott & Heather Lynne Horton Benefit Concert for Mercy Home