Don’t be shocked to see a group of half-naked students darting down the Breezeway on Thursday afternoon. In fact, you can join them; it’s for a good cause.
The “Go Streaking” event is part of FAU’s inaugural “Volunteer Week,” sponsored by Students Advocating Volunteer Involvement (SAVI) and the Center for Civic Engagement and Service (CCES).
Students can sign up with the volunteer center before the noon event on Thursday, April 17. Streakers will meet in front of the Boca campus Breezeway at 11:45 a.m., remove their clothing and run across campus to the pool.
The event was derived from “The Great Underwear Dash,” a similar event held on other university campuses. Event organizer and SAVI coordinator Jose Herrera brought the idea to FAU.
Clothing donations will go to Aid to Victims of Domestic Assault (AVDA), Help Against Violent Encounters Now (HAVEN), and to benefit boys waiting for foster care.
Underneath their to-be-donated clothing, participants are required to wear a bathing suit that is to be worn for the duration of the “streak.” Upon reaching the pool, the scantily clad students will be greeted with a pool party for their efforts.
Yet, Herrera says that streakers can’t take off all of their clothes.
“If anyone gets naked, it’s actually considered indecent exposure and they will go to jail,” said Herrera, who added that there will be a police officer present.
SAVI encourages all students to participate in this and all other Volunteer Week events. “Everyone is welcome,” said Emily Parsons, SAVI Director. “I had a 70-year-old man sign up [for ‘Go Streaking’] on campus today,” she said, adding that he was very enthusiastic about the event.
Parsons explained that the reasoning behind SAVI’s Volunteer Week is that there is a great deal of effort and energy behind many other on-campus activities, and SAVI’s Volunteer Week goal is to funnel some of that dynamism toward charitable causes that are making a difference for other people.
“This is the first time we’ve done [Volunteer Week], but we’d like to make it a yearly event,” Parsons said. The goal is for students to “come together and work for a good cause.”
Herrera and Parsons emphasized their desire for students to understand that volunteering can be an enjoyable experience. Simply by “streaking” down the Breezeway and creating a tradition at FAU, said Herrera, students can “make a difference in someone’s life by having fun.”
View photos from the event.