The 2nd Annual Half-Naked Half Mile run will be held 1 p.m. on Saturday. If you don’t know what the Half-Naked Half Mile is you might not be taking it literally and pass it off as some sort of pun for a special cause; but no, really, the runners will be half naked.

But you were right too, a special cause will be involved.  UW-Eau Claire’s Beta Upsilon Sigma will host the event as a way to give back to the community.  Participants are welcome to show up wearing as many used clothes as they would like to donate and take them off just before starting the run.

“It’s a way of showing students involvement … there’s not many events on campus where you see students running half-naked in the freezing cold,” said Danielle Martin, BUS community service committee member.

Runners will meet at Haas Fine Arts field 10-15 minutes before a whistle blow marks the beginning of the run at 1 p.m. Martin said they will drop off their donations in a bin and receive a participant button.  If the runners are daring enough and good at multi-tasking, she said donations could be taken off their bodies as they run.

The course of the run will start at Haas field, go across the walking bridge and end at Davies Center.

Following the run, BUS community service committee member Jessica Kons said cookies, hot cocoa and coffee will be provided in the Centennial Room of Davies Center to warm up participants.

Kons said anyone is welcome to come and people are encouraged to bring their friends. She said it is open to anyone willing to donate clothing.

“As a community, I think it’s good that we come together and try to help each other out,” Kons said.

Kons said the event will be a good way for people to come together as a community and help each other out.

“I think it is going to be a really good event, it’s going to be exciting,” Kons said.

Martin said the donated clothes will go to the Salvation Army and depending on the amount of donations, they could possibly go to other community collecting facilities to help people in need.

BUS members are encouraged to attend and with everyone asked to bring friends, Martin said they expect to have between 20 and 50 people attend the event.

“We are hoping for a good turnout, that way we can get more clothing items to give back to the community.”