Student Alumni Board and Phi Kappa Psi partner together for annual Bare on the Bricks run to collect monetary and clothing donations.
It may have reached negative temperatures this weekend, but that won’t stop students from running down Court Street naked. Well, nearly naked.
Ohio University’s Student Alumni Board, in partnership with Phi Kappa Psi, is hosting the sixth annual Bare on the Bricks, a nearly naked mile to collect clothing and monetary donations for different charities.
The event begins at Baker Center, where individuals will donate clothes and funds. Contributions will benefit My Sister’s Place, a shelter to help victims of domestic violence. Clothing donations will be given to not only My Sister’s Place, but places such as Good Works, Good Will and Hocking Athens Perry Community Action.
Kendra Lutes, vice president of philanthropy for SAB and a sophomore studying communication studies, is organizing the event and said it has been a great experience.
“We brought (Athens charities) into our meeting and they got to speak about their mission and what they do in the community and our full board voting and we got to decide where the money would be allocated,” Lutes said.
Registration for the run is $10 before and $12 for day-of registration.
Going into Thursday, there were about 210 individuals signed up to run, and Lutes said a majority of runners sign up the day of the race.
As far as weather goes, Lutes said the event will provide blankets and hand-warmers to help cut the cold.
“I think the biggest thing I want (participants) to take away is the mission of the charities and what they do for the community,” Lutes said. “The event was originally planned in February so that the runners have kind of that feeling like ‘We’re running in the cold for a couple minutes but this is what impoverished people deal with all the time.’”
The run will end at Pigskin Bar and Grille, 38 N. Court St., where the first 300 individuals to sign up for the race will receive a meal.
“It’s really funny to walk into a bar and see everyone almost completely naked — but it’s a blast,” Lutes said.
Kate Stone, a sophomore studying commercial photography, is a member of SAB. She is helping this year to pump up the crowd on Saturday. She said she has run the race in the past.
“It’s the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done in Athens,” Stone said. “There’s so many people so nearly naked and so excited to be nearly naked all running in one direction.”
Andrew O’Boyle, vice president of finance and a senior studying economics, said last year he helped to organize clothing donations during the race. Clothes will be distributed throughout the charities based on their need, Lutes said. For example, more children’s clothing will probably go to Good Works while more women’s professional clothing will go to My Sister’s Place.
O’Boyle said Bare on the Bricks brings out the best in Bobcats.
“I’ve never seen anyone at Bare on the Bricks that has done it begrudgingly, every person at Bare on the Bricks looks so excited to be there and donate,” O’Boyle said.
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