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OU Students Take Off Clothes For Charity Run
< < Back to ou-students-take-clothes-charity-runA record number of Ohio University students stripped down Saturday and ran a nearly naked mile to benefit schools and service organizations in Athens County.
Three-hundred and fifty students participated in the university's fourth annual Bare on the Bricks fundraiser, running in minimal clothing items from OU's College Green to the intersection of Court and State Streets.
The OU student alumni board and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity chapter hosted the event, which raised $2,500 for Good Works and more than 70 garbage bags full of clothing to be distributed to Athens Local Schools, My Sister's Place and Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action.
The hosts of Bare on the Bricks attributed the success of this year's event to several changes from previous years, including a change in the location of event activities to OU's Baker Center.
"I think the fact it has been around for now four years, people know about it. They understand when the event is going to be," said Madisen Medley, president of the OU student alumni board. "We did a lot more pushing for it. We sent the date earlier than before. The fact it was so beautiful outside was an added bonus for us."
Allie McRitchie, vice president of philanthropy for the OU student alumni board, said she thinks Bare on the Bricks has become so popular due to the unqiue nature of the event.
"A lot of philanthropic things ask for donations and this is different because it is more interactive, and it gives [participants] the opportunity to run down Court Street nearly naked. It is just different than anything OU has offered before," she said.
The event organizers will donate the garbage bags full of clothing to the service organizations and schools on Wednesday.