UNC celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this year with a new tradition – a Run of the Gingers. Around 20 redheaded UNC students gathered on the steps of Wilson Library at 6 p.m., setting the mood with traditional Irish classics like “Rattlin' Bog.”
Decked out in green-tinted glasses, four-leaf clover shirts and rainbow headgear, the participants were prepared for the special day.
As more gingers began to show, the crowd grew as well, wrapping around the quad to get a front row seat.
At around 6:15 p.m., the run began, the gingers sprinting from Wilson Library to He’s Not Here on Franklin Street. The crowd clapped and cheered the runners on as the first-ever UNC Run of the Gingers was cemented into history.
Elyssa Snively, a member of UNC’s Ginger Club and co-organizer of the Run of the Gingers, said she was inspired by other college campuses who have made this a tradition. Snively said she texted the UNC Ginger Club group chat and others began to pitch in about further details such as meeting location, time and the path of the run.
“I get to see a bunch of other redheads and meet people who I haven't met before,” Snively said. “And we all have something in common already.”
Ember Penney, who is also a member of the Ginger Club and co-organizer of the Run of the Gingers, said she pushed to make sure it actually happened by making a graphic and asking people to share it with their friends.
“We've tried to have events like this in the past, but then not everyone shows up, and it's kind of loosely organized,” Penney said.
The graphic featured the date, time, clovers, runners and a big rainbow with a pot of gold at the end.
