The University of Wisconsin Pail and Shovel Undie Run took place Sunday afternoon atop Bascom Hill, bringing students together to help the greater Madison community.

The purpose of the Pail and Shovel run was for UW students to have the opportunity to donate clothing to St. Vincent de Paul— or St. Vinny’s — a community organization dedicated to helping those in need. Once the clothing was gathered, participants ran down the hill in their underwear.

UW freshman Tess Gillingham participated in the run and said she was pleasantly surprised with the turnout.

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“I’m all about spur of the moment plans and having fun, especially while doing something good for the community,” Gillingham said. “I wanted to participate because it was a fun thing to do for an hour on the weekend and I also donate clothes all the time.”

Gillingham said she would absolutely participate in an event like this in the future.

Senior Class President Pranav Srivastava and Vice President Barnabas Shiferaw organized the run to bring the Pail and Shovel Party back to campus, a goal made clear in their campaign.

The original Pail and Shovel Party was formed on the Madison campus decades ago, according to Andrew Stiles of the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Known for erecting the Statue of Liberty on Lake Mendota and starting the tradition of flamingos on Bascom Hill, the Party had its supporters as well as its detractors. Eventually, the Party’s support diminished to the point of nonexistence, the foundation said.

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Srivastava and Shiferaw released a video prior to Sunday’s run to raise awareness about the event and its cause.

“The Pail and Shovel Party strongly believes that housing is a universal right, which is why we’re excited to partner with St. Vinny’s to help support the unhoused population of Dane County,” the video said. “Our goal is to provide resources and support to a community in need.”

When asked what their plans were once in office, they both responded, “Convert UW’s budget into pennies for students to collect on Library Mall with pails and shovels,” according to their Student Affairs profiles.

This exact slogan was the campaign promise of the original Pail and Shovel Party of 1978 and 1980, the Wisconsin Alumni Association said.