The dead rise to raise funds for cystic fibrosis.

By Justin Thompson

The undead chased the living Oct. 12 in Windsor during a 5K charity race for cystic fibrosis.

The Zombie Chase is a 5K there-and-back “run, walk or drag.” The event took place along the riverfront trail between Askin Avenue and Ouellette Avenue. The race had about 650 participants. No brain eating or physical contact was allowed between survivors and zombies, guaranteeing a safe environment.

The race was put on by RunningFlat and organized by Chris Uszynski. RunningFlat is a company that organizes race events with a focus on “creating localized economic development” and “raising money for great causes.”

“It was something that really needed a lot of help here during the Halloween holiday time,” said Uszynski. “We didn’t really have a run that catered to Halloween.”

The event included a marching band dressed up like zombies and a “gaggle” of inflatable grim reapers to make the event spookier. Two musical acts also played. Uszynski said it’s all about the fun.

RunningFlat is known for providing cool “swag” for their race participants. Those who took part received a Zombie Chase t-shirt to commemorate the event. Those who survived the Zombie Chase and finished the race received a glow-in-the-dark zombie head medal.

“I love producing runs within the city of Windsor,” said Uszynski. “It’s a very interesting place to do it.”

The participants were separated into two categories, survivors and zombies. The survivors had a three minute head-start before the zombies began the race. Participants were encouraged to dress up as their favourite zombie movie characters.

Kaylee Campbell, an english student at Brock University, said the event was a lot of fun.

“I liked how the living got a head-start over the “dead” because it kind of made it more true to the theme,” said Campbell, 19. “It was really neat seeing the people dressed up and chasing after everyone and you could tell that everyone was actually enjoying themselves.”

The proceeds went to the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance’s Shinerama, which is a student run charity that raises money for cystic fibrosis research and treatment.

Chelsea Masse, the UWSA Shinerama co-ordinator, said RunningFlat is “very special.”

“We really didn’t have to do much because we were working with professionals from RunningFlat,” said Masse. “They took care of everything and we just supplied some volunteers for them.”

With the help of RunningFlat and the participants in the Zombie Chase, the event raised more than just the undead.