Alongside the choppy waters of Lake Mendota, more than 90 brave souls ran and walked to give back to the Madison community Sunday morning.
As part of the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board’s second annual Bare it All for Charity 5K Run/Walk, registrants needed only to donate clothes to participate in the run.
All donations went to St. Vincent de Paul of Madison, said WASB member Andrea Okas, a UW junior. As of race time, registrants filled three large bins with donations.
Okas said she expected 500 people to attend the race, however with temperatures in the mid to upper-thirties at race time, WASB member Abbey Baus said she thought the weather kept more than a few runners at home.
“I think it might be keeping a couple out,” Baus said. “[But it is] more of a reason to come and donate clothes to people who aren’t able to have warm clothes at this time.”
Most registrants waited inside Wisconsin Alumni Association until a few minutes before the race started in an attempt to stay warm.
After working out his arms Saturday at the football game with all those push-ups, Bucky Badger made an appearance at the run, stretching and warming-up with participants.
But UW students and Bucky were not the only ones in attendance at the event. Parents also showed up, some running, some cheering on their racers as the event coincided with UW’s annual Parent’s Weekend.
The race started at the WAA and wound its way down the Lakeshore Path before looping back and finishing at WAA, Okas said.
UW freshmen Kelly Jorgenson, Elisabeth Loomis and Kimberly Feldman came out to the run because it benefited a good cause.
Jorgenson said she has not run in awhile and giving a donation as opposed to paying a registration fee appealed to her.
“Other runs I didn’t do because I don’t want to pay, but donating – I’d rather do that than pay money,” Jorgenson said.
Okas said the community and campus outreach team of WASB put the race together as a fun, free event for students to participate in while giving back to the community.
“This is a really great and a really fun way to do something [students] want to do to help the community,” Okas said.
