This past week, Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity here at FSU, put on The Undie 500, a fun run/jog/walk/skip around a predetermined course on campus that participants do while stripped down to their jimmies. The Undie 500, also called the Undie Run, serves as a charity event for people to donate their unwanted or unused clothes to those in need, and since there are a large number of homeless people living in Tallahassee, this event turned out to be of great help for them.
FSU’s Undie Run was started last fall after PJ Rivera, a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, attended an underwear dash at UF. All clothing that the runners wore was donated to those in need, and he thought that it would be a great event to bring to Tallahassee, where as Seminoles we would do an even better job at giving back. His idea soon became a reality, and thanks to the great turnout and support that Alpha Phi Omega got last fall, the run was put on a second time, meeting the same level of success and allowing the fraternity the opportunity to put it on again during this coming 2014-2015 school year.
So how exactly does an Undie Run work? Well, before the Undie 500 officially begins, those who choose to participate in it gather on Landis green wearing the clothing they wish to donate. Five minutes before the run starts a signal to strip and throw the clothes to be donated in a big pile. For those who don’t want to run or can’t, they can bring any clothes they don’t need or want and put them in the donation pile. At 7 p.m. the run begins, and the runners jog a short distance around a predetermined course on campus and then finish back at the starting point. After the run is over, the clothing that is given is placed in garbage bags to be donated in the following weeks. Since the run has already seen success, plans are being made to make it a midnight run in the hope that more people will come out if they feel more secure running half naked around campus when it isn’t as busy as it is at 7 p.m.
You also don’t have to run in your underwear to participate, so there is no need to feel pressured to run in your underwear if you feel more comfortable running in a tank top and shorts instead. Furthermore, since this event is also put on in the fall semester when it is significantly colder outside, you’ll definitely want to be running in something a little bit warmer than your underwear. The next time you hear about this event taking place feel free to come out and run or to just donate some of your old clothes. You never know what will happen when you get a bunch of crazy college kids trying to help the world together!