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Junior Lili Williams and sophomore Roberto Anzaldua placed a $5 bet on which one of them would win the Orange Dash race. Anzaldua promised to buy Williams a shot with the money if he won – and he did.

“It feels great. I told her I would run with her for a bit and then I heard that there was a prize for the top three, which is like a cake,” Anzaldua said. “So as soon as we got off, I was like, ‘I want top three. I want that cake. I want the dessert.’”

The Orange Dash started and ended in front of the Schine Student Center, marked by an orange, blue and white balloon arch. Runners ran three loops around campus, completing a 5K. The Chocolate Pizza Company donated five of their signature pizza cakes for the race, and the top three racers were each awarded one, including Anzaldua, who came in third place.

Organized primarily by The Helpful and Ethical Leadership Project (H.E.L.P.), all donations were given to the Rescue Mission of Syracuse, which serves meals to Syracuse locals and helps them find housing. H.E.L.P. gained donations from signup fees, which the organization set at a suggested donation of $25.

“They do most of their work on homelessness, and we really respect what they do and help them out however we can,” H.E.L.P. President Lucio Maffei said.

H.E.L.P.’s goal is to end poverty and homelessness in central New York. At each semester’s end, it holds clothing drives as students move out of their dorms and apartments. Maffei said he believes there is a disconnect between students and the city, and in many cases, the financial struggles of the area.

“It’s a good moral obligation that we help because the university has resources,” Maffei said. “The city is very cool, and my interactions in the city have always been really interesting and enjoyable, and the people are missing out by not participating.”

Maffei and the organization had to reach out to on-campus clubs because H.E.L.P. was not a registered student organization, so it could not receive its own funding for the 5K. The organization chose to pair with organizations like the Undergraduate Mock Trial Team, an RSO, to obtain funding. The race also received donations from Syracuse University’s Student Association.

Williams said she values service and appreciates when organizations hold events like the 5K. She frequently goes to service events with her roommate who is in Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed community service fraternity.

“It’s always nice when they are doing stuff on campus and trying to get other people involved,” Williams said. “I love getting to be a part of stuff like that, and it’s one of the things I love about the university as a whole that everybody’s always trying to do stuff and get everybody else involved.”

Saturday’s race winner, master’s student Dan Madison, raced for charity. Madison has only won one other race before.

“The race I won was because it was a 5K/10k and everyone else got confused and didn’t turn around for the 5K and I was the only one who turned around,” Madison said.

Madison regularly runs with the Lake Effect Run Club and will run the Mountain Goat Run next weekend. He had also run the 10-mile Mountain Goat Trail path in Syracuse earlier in the day before participating in the 5K.

As Maffei prepares to graduate, he is glad to be a part of this organization and this first Orange Dash. He said he’s glad he has made an impact at SU and that H.E.L.P. will be recognized as an RSO next school year.

“We’re hoping that it continues into the future,” Maffei said. “As someone who’s leaving, it’s cool to quickly see that some of the stuff you’re doing will make an impact and continue on.”

Published on April 28, 2024 at 10:47 pm

Contact Rosina: rlboehm@syr.edu