(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – Alpha Kappa Lambda’s Sigma chapter at the University of Central Missouri is participating in the annual Pigskin Passoff, a fundraising event where members of the fraternity walk from the campus of a football rival back to UCM.
The fraternity is walking from Missouri Western to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Sam Linder, the philanthropy chairman for AKL, said the group is walking to educate the public by bringing awareness to the cause.
“When you have cystic fibrosis, your lungs fill up with mucus and it gets hard to breathe and digest food, so we do the walk to raise awareness and show others what they (those with cystic fibrosis) can’t do,” Linder said.
Three members walk each day. Starting Sunday, the members will switch out every day until Friday. The walkers will travel a total of 115 miles, which averages to 18 miles a day. Drivers pick up the walkers and drive them to and from the walking points. Walkers and drivers start the day off as early as 5 a.m. to get the miles in for the day.
Brady Bickert, a junior and first-time walker for the Pigskin Passoff, said the event is personal for him because people close to him have had cystic fibrosis.
“We’ve had brothers who have had cystic fibrosis, and I’ve also had people in my life that have been affected by it,” Bickert said. “I want to take part in it because it’s important to me.”
Bickert also said he’s been physically and mentally preparing for the strenuous day of walking from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Another first-time walker, JD Braden, said he hasn’t been preparing too much, but he still believes the cause is important.
“This is an important event because it’s important to raise money and find out more about cystic fibrosis,” Braden said.
The fraternity is accepting online donations as well as cash donations on Thursday and Friday at a table set up in the Union Mall in front of the Elliott Student Union.
“We always get online donations through alumni,” Linder said. “They’re always supportive of it. Recent alumni have done the walk either in the past year or however many years ago. So, they are all aware of what we’re doing and what it’s all about.”
To donate to Alpha Kappa Lambda’s Pigskin Passoff fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, go to akl.crowdchange.co/fundraiser/934 and stay up to date with the walkers with by following @Pigskin2017 on Twitter.