World's Largest Underwear Party: Utah Undie Run 2012
Those who've been hanging out with us over the past several months know that this is an event we've been waiting for and looking forward to for some time. Wait a second... why the hell would a couple of shy travelers be interested in baring some skin and scampering through the streets of Salt Lake City? To which we offer the same simple answer behind most of the strange things we do during our travels: WHY NOT?! But The Utah Undie Run didn't just draw us in - this year, the crowd totaled a staggering 3,315! Enough to set a new Guiness World Record for "Largest Gathering of People Wearing Only Underpants/Knickers". And for many reasons, we're damn proud to have been a part of it 😀
A PARTY WITH A CAUSE...
A huge part of the draw for us were the causes behind the Utah Undie Run:
- Changing Perception: The event was organized to help shed stereotypes that Utah is an "uptight state". As native Utahns, we felt compelled to bare (most of) it all in efforts to move towards forward thinking in Utah.
- Helping the Homeless: All participants were encouraged to show up in clothing, then donate the clothes of their backs to the homeless. Multiple truckloads of clothing were donated to 4 local homeless shelters this year as a result of the event.
- Sharing a Message: Undie Runners were also encouraged to write messages on their bodies to share with the world. These messages could be anything from preaching out against social injustice, stringent liquor laws, marriage equality, and much more. Meisha chose to build a little vagabond awareness by sporting the quote "Not all who wander are lost." and I chose to remind people that "It's the most unhappy people who most fear change."
Click to share thisClick to share this
Wow! This looks awesome 🙂 One of my good blogging friends Matt Gibson took part in this. They also had this annually in Edmonton where I went to Uni. Can’t believe I never took part in it myself.
It was awesome indeed 🙂 After a bit of research, we learned that there are several “Undie Runs” worldwide, so perhaps you’ll get your chance someday – although it seems none come close to the size of the one here in Utah.