CU Boulder mascot Chip does the worm for a crowd of excited runners. Oct. 17, 2019. (Anna Haynes/CU Independent)
University of Colorado Boulder students stripped down and got “nearly naked” Thursday night to celebrate the annual Nearly Naked Mile at the Koenig Alumni Center. The philanthropic event is organized by the Herd, the student arm of the alumni association, and saw students donate clothing to the Sheridan School district and Clothes to Kids Denver, a Denver based non-profit.
With 475 registrants and 900 articles of clothing delivered, Thursday night marked the highest turnout the event has ever seen. The event had barely started by the time the Herd received over 900 clothing donations.
“I like the vibe of the people,” said sophomore Ethan Walters. “Everyone’s talking, hanging out and it’s body-positive.”
Before the mile-long run, students enjoyed a DJ, games and food. Pre-run events included a DJ, games and food.
Kavya Kannan, a sophomore and the Herd’s philanthropy chair, said the race is a great way to connect with peers and promote a healthy lifestyle.
“I got to choose which organization we were donating to this semester,” Kannan said. “This is the first time in 14 years that we’re donating to a school district.”
Runners begin the Nearly Naked Mile. Oct. 17, 2019. (Anna Haynes/CU Independent)
Kanaan had worked with the Sheridan school district in the past and knew what the specific needs of the district were.
“It was really important to me to choose an organization that college students can relate to,” Kannan said.
Kannan noted that all students know what it’s like to not feel confident in their own clothes and own skin.
“As students, it’s so much easier to resonate with other students because we’ve all been there and know how important it is for our self-perception,” Kannan said. ” We don’t dress for other people, we dress to make ourselves feel confident.”
The Herd accepted both old and new clothes and sorted all of the donations after the event to ensure the recipients of the donations received gently used clothing.
“I think it’s really important this event is centered around philanthropy,” Kannan said. “It shows students that there are so many ways to give back to communities without donating money. With this event, students are giving back through the form of clothing and it makes a huge difference.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Julia Smith at julia.smith@colorado.edu.
