Bare on the Bricks 2013 Attracts 300 Runners

A half-naked stampede sprinting down Court Street on Saturday may have been in celebration of one unexpected day of sunshine, but the momentary relief from the cold Ohio weather wasn’t the weekend’s main event.The group of 300 participated in the 4th Annual Bare on the Bricks, hosted by Phi Kappa Psi and the Student Alumni Board. They stripped down to their skivvies—or whatever they felt comfortable in—and piled up 75 bags’ worth of clothing for donation to local shelters.“It was a great time, after all the work,” said Stephen Ambrosio, the Phi Kappa Psi member who organized this year’s event. “We started working on it five months ahead of time.”PKP used fliers, Baker Center TV ads and write-ups in newspapers to promote the event, as well as speaking to members of Greek life personally.They used the Twitter account @NearlyNakedMile, which was created last year to advertise through social media, tweeting reminders to register and photos of participants.One runner slathered his torso in red paint and waved a giant flag all through his run. Another wore a banana suit.Joe Garman, a fellow PKP member who organized the Bare on the Bricks in 2012, painted his face in green and red to run in the event this year instead of calling the shots. Garman said he did a lot of learning as he went last year, but close quarters with his roommate Ambrosio led to easy information sharing and less roadblocks to getting the job done.“I gave him the play by play, so I felt like it went smoother,” Garman said.The event’s starting point in Baker Center, rather than College Gate, allowed students to gather inside before they undressed and ran down to State Street. The forecast of about 50 degrees—in contrast to last year’s, at 20 degrees and snowing—didn’t make that necessary, however.An after party at the Pigskin Bar and Grille with free food for participants provided even more incentive to support the cause.Ambrosio was pleased that the event ran smoothly, noting that participants seemed to really enjoy themselves.“It was a great turnout this year,” Ambrosio said.Clothing will be donated to Goodwill in the name of Athens Middle School, which will help provide food vouchers to parents of the school.“It feels incredible. I’m so glad for everything I have,” Ambrosio said. “To be able to help them—it feels great.”