The Georgetown fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi held its first annual Underwear Run Friday to collect clothing for the Community for Creative Non-Violence, a D.C. homeless shelter. The group collected a total of seven 30-gallon garbage bags full of clothing from students participating in the event.

A few dozen students primarily comprised of AEPi members gathered in Red Square that evening wearing the clothes they intended to donate and then stripped. Wearing anything from boxers to bathing suits, the students jumped and chanted to stay warm. At 8:45 p.m., the official Underwear Run began with a sprint around campus, passing Lauinger Library, New South and Village C.

“The success of the AEPi Underwear Run lies not just in the fact that we raised money and donated clothes for charity,” AEPi President Dan Shaffer (MSB ’03), “but in the fact that we created more awareness for an issue which will in turn lead more Georgetown students to go out and get involved in charitable ventures.”

“It was a really fun way to do community service,” Liora Gelbum (SFS ’05) said. “I was glad to get a chance to help the homeless, even in a small way.”

Event organizer Brett Sander said he got the idea from thinking of amusing scenarios in which to include Georgetown students. “I’d been looking for a way to get students involved on campus, and I thought it’d be funny for people to run around in their underwear,” he said. “I had a blast. It was definitely one of the best nights of college.”

The event was sponsored by Atlantic Records, GUSA, College Republicans, Campaign Georgetown, Amnesty International, The CORP, Georgetown Students for Fair Trade, Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon and the Henle Community Council, Sander said. Georgetown Students for Fair Trade also provided free coffee for the participants.

In addition to donating the clothing, AEPi also raised about $400 for the CCNV, Sander said.

“We hope that this event will become a tradition at Georgetown,” Shaffer added.