Despite being moved into the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, the Barefoot Run to benefit Saving Orphans through Healthcare and Outreach more than doubled what the 5K raised last year.
Weather caused participants of the Barefoot Run to end up inside rather than running outside near Worthen Arena.
Despite the change in plans, SOHO raised $300 through 20 participants preregistering, said Sara McInerney, SOHO account manager and a junior organizational communications studies major.
Just 45 minutes before the event was scheduled to start, organizers sent out emails, tweets and Facebook posts saying the event would be moved indoors due to a thunderstorm.
“All of us had been crazily checking weather.com and it’s Indiana, so you never know what is going to happen,” McInerney said. “We are still making a difference, so I am happy even though it was kind of crazy.”
Free T-shirts, snacks and raffle prizes like gift cards to IHop that would have gone to winning runners were offered at the event.
There was still a place to drop off clothes donations, and organizers also passed out handouts with the stories of six children who would benefit from the run.
Originally, the event included walking a mile barefoot to signify the five to 10 miles children in third world countries walk each day, resulting in cuts and infections.
McInerney said she was working with the University Police Department to sweep the streets and ensure participants’ safety.
“There are so many 5K’s in April... we decided we wanted to do something different ... that related to SOHO,” McInerney said. “Basically our goal was for people to see what it was like for these children. It was to get people in their soles and put them in that mind set.”
Junior psychology major Jacob Hauck and junior nursing major Nick Hochstedler said they had a huge pile of clothes they planned on donating.
“It’s a good cause,” Hauck said. “[Raising that much money] is great. All of their hard work came into fruition.”
Hauck said if the event were to happen next year, he would run to support the cause.
McInerney said while she won’t be in charge of next year’s run, she is going to put together an extensive binder so whoever follows her is prepared to make the event a success.
