Looking to be more politically active? Want to do something positive for women, people of color, the environment, immigrants, and LGBTQ? There's a fantastic event coming up this weekend, and you should be attending. I'm talking about Pantsuit Pursuit, the 5k charity run on Jan. 21 which will be raising money for supporting all of these marginalized groups.
As said, the event is being held on Jan 21, the day after the Presidential Inauguration for Donald J. Trump. In a time where many of us are surely feeling stressed and uncertain about the future, this is a fun way to bring the local community together for a day of entertainment, adventure, and charity.
Paid for directly out of pocket by host, University of Oregon junior Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy and assisting organizations, the event is $25 to register, $20 if you're a student, and $20 per person for groups of FIVE or more. None of the money for registration will actually be going toward covering the cost of the event. 100% of it will be distributed as donations to the following organizations:
Environmental – Cascadia Wildlands
Women – Women’s Space
LGBTQAI + – Basic Rights Oregon
Latinx – GLAD Grupo Latino de Acción Directa of Lane County
People of Color – NAACP Eugene/Springfield
Indigenous Peoples – SURJ Eugene/Springfield
Refugees – Unite Oregon
Asians/Pacific Islanders – APANO
I had the privilege of interviewing Sophia about this event, and was inspired by her feeling of passion and desire to give her emotions an active, physical form.
"For a lot of people in our community we know that January 20th is going to be a stressful and potentially surreal day with the finalization of the transmission of power in the White House," Chudy said. "My hope is to bring community members together for a fun and lively event to raise money for organizations in Oregon that support women, people of color, immigrants, the environment, and other marginalized communities in our state."
Sophia isn't the only one bringing passion to this event. 18 people have already raised $485 by paying their dues, with 88 more registered officially on FaceBook. Local racing companies have said to expect as many as 500 people to show up.
"I think the event is important because it represents an easy and peaceful way for people to show their discontent with what Trump represents," University of Oregon student Sam Mundorff said. "I was drawn to participate in it because I believe in the organizations that are being supported with the funds, and now more than ever they will need support."
But, regardless of feelings about our President-Elect, it has been stressed that this event is not about disparaging Trump, but rather about about trying to make amends to those who may feel hurt by the way they have been marginalized not only in the recent election but in their time in this country.
Though Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is being used as the mascot for this event, none of the proceeds will go toward political parties, candidates, or organizations.
"I just want to be clear, while this event may be politically motivated, I can assure you it is not itself a political event," Chudy said. "It is not hate which motivates me, but the human capacity to love and the hope my work is bringing people.It is a way for people to show up for something and make a tangible difference while also showing that they support their fellow Oregonians. It’s about giving people hope."
The event will run on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 11 am to 1 pm. Attendees will meet at the ERB Memorial Union (EMU) in the center of campus. Those interested are also encouraged to register on FaceBook. T-shirts will be available at the event for $10 each. These proceeds will also go exclusively to charitable organizations.
Link below.
