TEMPE, AZ – The final results are in and Arizona State University is the winner of the 2010 AXE Undie Run Challenge.

The competition brought guys and girls together to run in their skivvies, to help the homeless.

At each of 10 college campuses across the country, students literally took the clothes off their backs to support a local charity.

The Undie Run Challenge lasted from April 30 to June 9. The marketing firm that represents AXE, the sponsor, reported 19,340 pounds of clothing and $50,000 donated to various organizations that help the homeless.

Out of the 10 participating schools, ASU came in first place with 5,300 pounds of clothing. University of Texas at Austin came in second place with 3,200 pounds. San Diego State University was third with 2,600 pounds.

Note: The above video were created by a fan of the ASU Undie Run and do not necessarily share the same views as Arizona State University or the ASU Undie Run Coalition,

May 4th is an important day for Arizona State University students. It marks the final day of regular classes and the beginning of many caffeine-induced cram sessions to survive finals. As of three years ago however, the 4th for students also means stripping down into their underwear and taking a lap around campus with thousands of other Sun Devils.

The ASU Undie Run is in its third year and has officially become a new campus tradition. The initial run, which took place in 2008, brought together roughly 5,000 students in the name of blowing off some post-semester steam, donating some clothes to charity and frankly, to better examine the student body. This year, the event, as advertised on Facebook, is looking to attract 20,000 people and possibly set a Guinness Book World Record for the “Largest Gathering of People in their Underwear.”

While the Undie Run occurs in the name of good clean fun, there are bound to be plenty of critics who look to condemn this sort of behavior. Perhaps these critics are relics from a past generation where college traditions resembled something other than stripping and going for a jog. Others may assert that this event reflects ASU’s notorious reputation of caring more about partying and lewd behavior than academics.

The critics need to realize that this event is merely an outlet for students to relax and take their minds off the looming, ever-present monster that is finals week. The pressure to perform well academically is almost comically overwhelming in this day and age, where jobs are scarce and only those with great grades and a lot of luck can eke out a decent living.

With that in mind, the critics and naysayers should kindly suspend their judgments and allow ASU’s student body to enjoy a brief moment of elation before they hit the books.

Original article by Adam Chaikin.

ASU Undie Run has been awarded “Best Excuse To Get (Nearly) Naked” by New Times’ Best of Phoenix 2009

A few thousand college kids high on wrapping up their semester and an endorsement to take their clothes off — what could go wrong? Turns out it’s a lot less than you may think. In the past two years, ASU has celebrated the semester’s end with a massive on-campus party during which students strip down to their undies. Their discarded clothing goes to charity and the students take a run around the campus. In 2009, so many clothes were taken off that ASU was able to fill a U-Haul truck with the donated clothing. Of course, how the generous students get dressed again is completely up to them.

Thanks New Times!

We’ll let the video speak for itself: http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/undie-run-at-asu/862147086

In celebration of the end of classes, the Official Undie Run Coalition at ASU is hoping for 12,000 people to show up, strip down and jog around ASU’s Tempe campus to bare all on Tuesday night. Biological sciences junior Rubin Green, founder of the club, said the big push of the event is to establish a tradition at ASU and donate to
local charities. Green transferred to ASU last spring and also transferred the nearly-naked-running-for-charity tradition. Club public-relations manager Brian Ortiz, a political science and sociology junior, said the group hopes people will show up and donate the clothing off their backs. “That’s the main difference between [ASU’s event] and other events,” Ortiz said. “We’re trying to give back to the community. This was always intended to be a clothing drive.”

Last year, more than 5,000 people participated in the nighttime run. This year’s event has been upgraded to include live music. After last year’s event, the coalition was charged more than $1,880 by ASU Student Life for trampled plants and other damage by runners. After worry that the event wouldn’t be able to continue because of a lack of funding, the coalition got funding from Undergraduate Student Government, the Residence Hall Association and several outside businesses. “We’re expecting as many clothing donations as people, at least,” Ortiz said.

Central Arizona Shelter Services, Arizona Helping Hands and the Andre House will receive donations from the event. USG president-elect Brendan O’Kelly said he hopes to attend the event to thank the group for supporting the local community. “[USG] supported the run financially, and we want to say thank you for such a big effort to support local shelters and banks,” O’Kelly said. Ortiz said students aren’t required to run in just underwear or donate, but it is highly encouraged. “You can run in clothing or you can run without donating [clothing], but the whole idea is to give back.”

The group hopes it will become an official ASU tradition. Currently, it is an ASU-sanctioned event and recognized by the Student Organization Resource Center. “It’s going to be one step above incredible,” Green said. “I brought this tradition with me, except I made it bigger and better in every way.”

Reach the reporter at tessa.muggeridge@asu.edu

The end is near; so let’s get naked (almost) and run around campus – for charity.

That, pretty much in a nutshell, is the concept behind the upcoming Undie Run on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. The event – the first of its kind in Arizona – will be held at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29. It begins in Parking Structure 5.

Rubin Green, an ASU biochemistry sophomore and the sole student coordinator of the Run, said attendees should wear clothing they intend to donate. When the run is about to start, participants will strip down to their knickers, make a mountain of clothing, and then jog across campus, half-naked.

The clothes will be donated to the Valley Christian Center, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping members of the community by providing assistance to individuals, families, children and the elderly. The VCC has been in existence for almost 90 years

It is located in central Phoenix and is more than just a clothing donation drop off. They have a library, kitchen, cafeteria, basketball court and computer room.

Ledale Miles, a program manager at the VCC for 18 years said that the VCC serves everyone, not just residents of Phoenix.

“Anyone who walks in the door and says ‘I need …,’ that’s our community,” Miles said.

The VCC was chosen for one main reason, Green said.

“They seemed like the only legitimate organization that would actually donate the clothes,” Green said.

Miles said that the VCC doesn’t sell any of the donations they receive.

“We actually try to clothe the homeless,” Miles said. “The clothing is actually going to be given away. It will all be given for a good cause and will get a lot of use.”

The VCC also helps with personal hygiene, jobs, rental referrals and food boxes as well as clothing. They also have a program for senior citizens and a summer camp for the younger crowd.

Green said the inspiration for the came from a friend who had already done one successfully.

“One of my friends started one in San Diego,” said Green. “I was there, and saw how fun it was. Then, I heard about ones in Colorado Texas, and Santa Barbara. It spread fast.”

There will be sponsors at the event including Red Bull energy drink and Axe body spray, and also live music by local rock bands Friday Night Gun Fight, Gooder and power pop band RingLeader.

“[The sponsors] all seemed pretty enthused to help,” Green said. “They really care about the community.”

This event is slated to become an annual event, Green said, because of steps he has taken to move it from just an event to more of a club.

Byron Rainey, an ASU kinesiology sophomore said he heard about this event through friends and co-workers.

“It’s a good time to give to others that have nothing,” Rainey said. “I think it is good that ASU is getting involved with the unfortunate, and by hosting an event like this it’s a good path to head down in the long run.”

As far as apprehensions about running around in his underwear, Rainey said he doesn’t have a problem with it.

“How often to you get to do this?” Rainey said. “Might as well grab the bull by the horns and run with it.”

Green said that he, alone, had to go through the entire legal process with ASU to get permits for food and for the live music.

Recently, the route of the Run had to be changed because of Tempe police regulations.

“I was forced to change the route, because Tempe Police wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars for using city property,” Green said.

He also said that when he told Tempe Police that this is a non-profit event for charity, they just said that they needed the money if he wanted to keep his old route.

Green, who used Facebook to publicize the event, said he expects 2,500 students, “if not more.”

The official Facebook group dedicated said that the intent of the Run is “to launch this event into a knock your socks off party and charitable event … incorporating a clothing drive for Tempe’s needy.”

It calls for the “Undie Run Coalition” to transform a typical undie run into an accepted past time and tradition, spreading the fire across college campuses everywhere – all in the name of a good cause.

It says that other than the obvious reasons for participating – wanting to help a charity and wanting to run around in your undies – the purpose of this event is to “make ASU an even more sexy and sophisticated party paradise.”

Encouragement for those who are modest can also be found on the Facebook page. And it encourages those who do not want to get nearly naked to still bring their clothing to donate to the VCC.

There are seven other universities concurrently putting on Undie Runs within a weeks of ASU’s – proof that this phenomenon is more than just a fad.

Green said that students can use this event to also “stick it to the man.”

“Running around campus in your underwear is a defiant statement against social norms,” Green said. “It’s about rebelling against the system and feeling totally free.”

“I’m just trying to have a kick ass time,” Green said. “It makes you feel good about doing something for your community and you also just feel good running around in your underwear.”

Arizona State University students are planning to donate the clothes off their backs – literally. Student Rubin Green is planning ASU’s first Undie Run for Charity, and more than 2,000 students have already signed up.

The late-night run is to begin at 11:55 p.m. April 29, the night before finals begin. Green said students are planning to meet at Parking Structure 5 on the north side of campus near the Fulton Center.

“You show up in clothes you want to donate,” Green said. “You donate the clothes off your back and then you’re in whatever you want to wear under that. People get pretty creative.”

All of the clothes will be donated to the Valley Christian Center, Green said.

“There is no religious purpose,” Green said. “It happened to be the only place that gives the clothes away instead of selling it and I didn’t want the clothes to be sold.”

Green got students to get involved by opening a Facebook group that catered to the run and started asking the biggest groups on campus to participate.

It “blew up quick,” Green said, and even people from the community started to ask if they could participate.

Student Kristin Knapp decided to participate because she said the event sounded like a fun tradition to get off the ground at ASU.

“It’s an awesome opportunity to let loose and have a good time before the stress of finals hits,” she said. “Plus, it’s a good cause since all the clothes are being donated to charity.”

The idea came from a friend of Green in San Diego who organized a similar event. Green said he participated and had so much fun that he decided to share the experience at ASU.

A Red Bull energy drink truck will give out free drinks, and local restaurants have already asked if they could give out prizes as well, Green said.

ASU police spokesman Jim Hardina said the police have been informed of the event and as long as there is no nudity, everything should be fine.

“I just hope to have a really awesome event and raise a whole bunch of clothes and money for charity,” Green said.

“I want people to know that ASU doesn’t only care about themselves. We care about helping our community and we can have a great time doing it.”

Written by Ilse Inzunza

One Arizona State University student has found a way to benefit the community while hanging out in his underwear with his friends.

Rubin Green, 21, is organizing ASU’s first Undie Run for Charity.

On April 29, the last day of classes before finals begin, students will meet at Parking Structure 5 by the Fulton Center dressed in clothes they will donate to the Valley Christian Center.

All of the students will then take off the clothes, donate them on the spot and then run through campus in their undergarments.

“It shows that all the students are united, to donate clothes off their backs,” Green said.

So far, Green said, he is expecting about 1,500 students to participate. The event will also include performances by local bands.

Green said he has informed the Tempe Police Department of the event and was told that there should be no legal problem with it as long as there is no nudity.

He said he got the idea from a friend who held a similar event at a college in San Diego. He said he’d like to see it become a nationwide college event and is helping to organize a similar event in Colorado.