Charity event barely gets by
It was a bit nippy Saturday afternoon for a jaunt in Denver, but the event was made a touch more bearable since it was for a good cause.
The heat was cranked up inside the Mcnichols Civic Center Building as participants were scantily clad in underwear, bathrobes, superhero costumes and tutus to raise money for Cupid’s Charity, a Denverbased nonprofit organization that supports research to help find a cure for neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder causing tumors to grow anywhere on or in the body.
Cupid’s Undie Run is described as a “brief” fun run, and they mean brief. The running portion of the event lasted only 15 minutes, or about a mile, which was for the better because most of the people at the gathering didn’t consider themselves avid runners but still wanted to support a good cause.
“I claim I am (a runner), but I’m really not,” Sean Mcgrane said while wearing Army-green boxers and sipping a drink. “There’s 80-year-olds that pass me.”
Some attendees consumed adult beverages prior to the event. One man referred to the refreshment as “liquid courage” to help him strip for the cause — while mingling, dancing and bouncing on a hoppy ball painted as a unicorn. Feathers, glitter, nude leotards, gold spandex and face-paint all made an appearance at the affair.
The fun run did bring out a few people ready to be athletic. Chelsie Frisby and friends came out in matching tank tops and said they have a certain number of races they try to run per year. But this was their first time partaking in the undie run.
The cause struck a chord with runner Rhiannon Layer, who said she has a cousin with neurofibromatosis, or NF. She ran with her friend Deirdre Kinkel and said they often do novelty 5Ks and half-marathons.
It wasn’t easy for everyone to be surrounded by hundreds of people while half-naked. Gary Spets was on the fence about the run after seeing the event on Facebook, but when he was encouraged by friends, he gave in and stripped down.
“Alcohol helps a lot,” he said as he gawked at the different outfits consisting of more than just underwear, adding that the range of outfits surprised him. He said the cold didn’t worry him since the sun was out.
This year marks the seventh time Denver has participated in the national event. Last year Denver raised more than $88,000 and saw more than 795 runners, according to a news release.
This year’s run has raised more than $125,000 so far. Donations are accepted through March 4.
“NF is relatively common, occurring once in every 3,000 people, but those who are impacted by NF didn’t have the support of a large national fundraiser,” said Brendan Hanrahan, cofounder of Cupid’s Undie Run. “Over the years, Cupid’s Undie Run has filled that void and is probably the most fun you could have at a charity event.”
Nationally, Cupid’s Undie Run has raised nearly $14.5 million.