As a record-breaking cold was set to sweep New York City, Cupid’s Undie Run, an annual charity event, went on in full swing Saturday.
Officials deemed the freeze and wind chill “life-threatening.” The Central Park Conservancy even cancelled its annual Ice Festival because of the extreme cold. Not so, the Undie Run. Its participants were committed to running past the Intrepid in Manhattan in nothing but their underwear for the fundraising event.
“I felt pins and needles on my arms,” said runner Denise Emolo. Emolo’s 17-year-old son has neurofibromatosis, the rare disease that Cupid’s Undie Run fundraises for.
While the deep chill didn’t halt excitement about the event, co-race directors Stephanie Mercurio and Amy Wheeler had to shorten the one-mile race to half a mile to keep runners safe from frostbite, they said. The Valentine’s Day-themed fundraiser raised over $150,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.
The run started, and ended, with a party at Stage 48 in Manhattan, where participants’ “bedroom best” was the dress code.
