Run for the Kids Delivers Game Ball for Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

The annual Run for Kids swapped rivalry for teamwork Sunday as the Georgia Tech and University of Georgia chapters of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) delivered the game ball from Athens to Atlanta ahead of Friday’s football game between Tech and UGA.  

All proceeds will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), a cause that unites the chapters.  

“Rivalries are fun, but they're supposed to be kept on the field. We all know we want to beat the Bulldogs on Friday, but for this event, we’re all working together and sharing the common goal of raising money for CHOA and the kids who are under their care,” said assistant philanthropy chair Jamie Parry.  

The Georgia Tech FIJI chapter took over the relay at the halfway point in Loganville, Georgia, carrying the ball the final 33 miles back to Tech. With a Georgia State Patrol escort and lead car providing snacks and music, 20 members carried the ball along the way. First-year students Kyle Wright and Joey Bishop ran half marathons. 

“As a fraternity, we always say there’s one word that defines us — persistence. And for this event, any time someone was tired or wasn’t sure if they were going to run, we kept that mentality, and we would just say, ‘It’s for the kids,’ and that kept us going,” said Parry, who ran two miles of the relay. 

Another motivating factor along the way was the drivers on the highway clapping and honking in support of the runners, with several donating to the cause using the QR code on the back of the lead car.  

This year’s run was the event’s 25th anniversary in its current iteration, although its roots date back to the 1970s. FIJI’s goal for the milestone run is to raise $25,000. The event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the state’s leading pediatric healthcare provider, which treats over one million children each year.   

Donations are still being accepted. Kickoff between the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs is set for 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.