Body and Mind, one of Union Board’s 12 committees, organizes events advocating health and wellness on the IU campus. BAM integrated programs with Halloween this year to keep their events entertaining and fun.
The Zombie 5K provided students a safe and enjoyable opportunity to participate in Halloween festivities while fundraising for the Middle Way House, a local Bloomington shelter for victims of domestic violence.
The shelter has been available as a safe house from violence and sexual assault for more than 30 years, offering crisis intervention, support groups and safe housing for those who can’t afford it.
“When we were selecting the charity that we wanted to have the proceeds go to, people in the committee made an emphasis on selecting a charity that was local so that we could impact the Bloomington community,” BAM Assistant Director Valarie ?Kumalo said.
Participants of the Zombie 5K paid an $8 registration fee, some of which went directly to fundraise for the Middle Way House.
“It seems to be more that it’s a donation just because a portion of the proceeds are going to Middle Way House,” BAM Director DeAnthony Nelson said. “At the same time you’re paying $8, but you get a T-shirt with that. You get to participate in the festivities in Dunn Meadow. You get so much out of that $8. I would consider it free.”
While raising money for Middle Way House was a major incentive for the event, providing Halloween activities for students was also a huge part of the Zombie 5K, Nelson said. Participants were recommended to run the 5K in ?costume.
The run started at 5 p.m., while walkers began at 5:10 p.m. The route itself was full of Halloween-themed decorations, including spiders, skeletons and cobwebs. There were actors from the theater department dressed up like zombies and other terrifying creatures.
The actors weren’t allowed to chase the runners but instead hid themselves and popped out from behind trees.
An after party immediately followed the 5K.
BAM’s committee set up obstacle course inflatables, caricature tables, balloon artists, pumpkin carving, food tables and a photo booth to capture the moment.
The after party had live music, including a concert by the Atomic Dog Brass Band, a local Bloomington brass band.
“We’re here for the students, and we want the students to get an opportunity to be able to market themselves and show their talent because we have a lot of talented students on the IU campus,” Nelson said. “That’s why we chose to go with something local, something that we felt like we needed to support because you can always get large ?concerts.”
DJs performed before and after the Atomic Dog Brass Band. The 5K and after party were offered as something students wouldn’t normally think to do for Halloween on the IU campus, Kumalo said.
“It provides other students who are looking for something other than partying to do during Halloween weekend,” Kumalo said. “It’s just an event for students on campus to come, get together and just have fun.”
As the event is a fundraiser for the Middle Way House, student volunteers oversaw the majority of it. Volunteers helped set up and tear down the event in Dunn Meadow as well as run the registration tables.
“The acting portion of it, so scaring the people, is actually volunteer positions,” Nelson said. “We have, like I said, the makeup artists. That’s going to be volunteer positions. We’re going to have students at the booth to help facilitate that whole thing, like making sure not too many people are going up the King Kong obstacle course at one time.”
Nelson said BAM’s committee members chalked, put up flyers on campus and made announcements in classrooms to get the word out for the first Zombie 5K on Bloomington’s campus, hoping for a substantial turnout.
“This is a trial and error thing and we definitely want it to continue going on for Halloween because we think it’s a cool event,” Nelson said. “Hopefully this one sets the tone for the rest of them, and people will continuously be signing up and we’ll have more next year and more the year after that.”
