A committed group of over 600 runners braved a brisk afternoon trot across the Roberto Clemente Bridge — temperatures hovering around the low 30s — dressed solely in their skivvies.
Saturday was Pittsburgh’s 6th annual Cupid’s Undie Run, beginning with an indoor party at McFadden’s on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, and culminating with about a mile-long run over the Allegheny River and back.
The scantily-clad Valentine’s Day themed event was all for charity. Forty cities across the country are participating in the effort raising funds for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. It’s a non-profit dedicated to research into neurofibromatosis, a genetic tumor disorder that typically appears in newborns and the very young.
“This keeps growing every year,” said organizer Nikki Boros of Beaver. So far over $130,000 has been raised in Pittsburgh.
Heather Olbeter, of Greensburg, was wearing a full-size pink dinosaur costume. She came out to support her 13-year-old nephew, Alex Olbeter, who has neurofibromatosis.
“He likes to see his team, Team Alex,” Olbeter said. “He’s always asking ‘How’s Team Alex doing? He likes to see how much money we’ve raised.”
