On Saturday, Nov. 19, collegiate members and alumni of the Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity will kick off the annualRun from Pittto benefit the Autism Society.
Participants will take off at 6 a.m. from Heinz Field or the Cathedral of Learning and run different legs of the 73-mile stretch along Route 19 from Pittsburgh to Morgantown. Along the way, they will carry the football that will be used in the WVU -Pitt game at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, at Mountaineer Field.
The theme of this year’s run isComing Together to Fight Autism Since 1970.About 60 people are expected to hit the pavement for a good cause.
On the night of the game, Alpha Phi Omega members will leave the green space behind the WVU College of Law known aslaw school hillat about 6:30 p.m., run around the stadium tailgate areas and hand the football off to Mountaineer Head Coach Rich Rodriguez during pregame warmups.
Last year’s run raised more than $3,000.
The Run to/from Pitt (the destination switches each year) has become a tradition for us,said Erin Roberts, Run from Pitt co-chair.The whole point of our fraternity is service, and this is not only fun, but the money goes to the Autism Society.
Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. As many as 1.5 million Americans are believed to have some form of autism.
Throughout the fall semester, members of Alpha Phi Omega have been raising money through individual and business sponsorships and campus activities, including autism awareness bracelet sales and coin collections. In April, the student organization held an autism awareness night on WVU ’s Downtown Campus.
Alpha Phi Omega is a national service fraternity with more than 700 chapters in the United States and the Philippines . The student organization was founded on the campus of Lafayette College in Easton , Pa. , in 1925.
The WVU Lambda Omicron chapter was founded in 1955 and has more than 60 members.
For more information about Alpha Phi Omega, go tohttp://www.wvu.edu/~apo/.