The Veterans Club is hosting a Clothes Off Our Backs run at 5 p.m. Thursday at Risman Plaza for anyone willing to strip down to their undergarments and donate their clothes to veterans.

“At the run, everyone will take off their clothes, down to their bra and underwear,” said Ronald Wilkinson, senior marketing major and president of the Veterans Club. “They will put all of their clothes into boxes for donation, and then we will do a short run through campus,”

What makes this run worthwhile, Wilkinson said, is that everyone’s clothes get donated to AMVETS of Ohio.

AMVETS is one of America’s veterans service organizations whose main goal is to assist veterans and their families in any way possible.  

Mary Frodin, a supervisor for AMVETS of Ohio, said the organization provides many services to assist veterans in need.

“We do a lot of different things,” she said. “There are many programs designed to help both veterans and their families. Some things include scholarship funds, hosting social things and providing help for hospitalized veterans.”

Frodin said that all of the money raised through AMVETS and all of the items donated will go directly to veterans and their families.

Wilkinson said that AMVETS of Ohio will be at the Clothes Off Our Backs run to pick up the donations and show support for the club. He said the run will be no more than a mile long, and no registration is needed.

The gathering begins at 4 p.m. and there will be live music, Wilkinson said.

“There is going to be a DJ playing to get people pumped up in the beginning and end of the run,” he said. “There will also be Red Bull to drink, too.”    

William Wilson, junior criminology major and member of the Veterans Club, said the run is a great way for students to have fun before finals.

“We wanted to do something for the warm weather and something that was fitness-oriented,” he said. “Since we are a military organization, we wanted to promote that in a fun way with this event.”

Wilson said the club tries to support veterans in any way they can.

“It gives us an opportunity to give back to other veterans,” Wilson said. “These are all guys we could’ve served with, so the least we could do is try to help them out.”

 Contact Mary Booth at [email protected].