90 people participated in Stride Through Their Story, a five kilometer run/walk presented by sorority Alpha Beta Psi (ABY) and Norse Against Sexual Assault (NASA) on April 28. The event closed out Sexual Assault Awareness Month and raised money for the Riverview Center.
Stride Through Their Story follows events like Condom Bingo, the Jane-Jitsu self-defense class, and the Here’s My Story panel. Vice President of NASA and Recruitment Chair of ABY Maddie Kaasa (‘25) explained the importance of ending the month with such an event.
“Throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month we do a lot of activities and events to try and bring awareness to this really prominent issue that our campus, and everywhere, faces,” Kaasa said. “Having an event like [Stride Through Their Story,] combining two different groups and also reaching out to the community, campus, faculty, staff and alumni, brought a whole different level of awareness to it.”
Stride Through Their Story began with a celebrity race on the Luther track. Featured celebrities included Assistant Dean Jake Dyer, Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Palmer (‘91), Campus Programming Assistant and Box Office Manager Brad Phillips, 4th Ward Decorah City Councilman Steven Zittergruen, Instructor in Biology Gwen Strand (‘03), Nordic Mart Manager Nori Hadley (‘97) and Assistant Professor of Music Adrianna Tam. Each celebrity wore shoes of the other gender to demonstrate empathy by walking in someone else’s shoes and completed a one-lap race around the track. The shoes worn were either donated by The Getup or thrifted.
Following the celebrity race, the full 5K started at the Luther track and followed the cross country course along the Upper Iowa River until the course met Riverview Drive. Participants followed Riverview Drive until they joined Trout Run Trail. From Trout Run Trail, they followed the Oneota Riverview Trail until it intersected with College Drive. The route ended at Dixie’s Biergarten.
All ticket fees, donations, and proceeds from the event held at Dixie’s Biergarten will be donated to the Riverview Center in Decorah. According to Kaasa, the event raised over $1,000 dollars. Kaasa explained why ABY chose the Riverview Center as the organization they would donate and bring awareness to.
“Something I really wanted people to take away from this event was the services that Riverview provides and how they are a part of our community,” Kaasa said. “I think that they are an underused resource. They do so much for a lot of people on campus, but Riverview could be helping more people if they knew about the resource.”
As an organization, the Riverview Center provides sexual assault services in 14 counties located in Northeast Iowa. Their services are free, regardless of biological sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, English proficiency, race and/or ethnicity, incarceration status or disability. The Decorah office offers a 24-hour crisis hotline.
Despite the rainy weather, participants enjoyed the event. Ian Ramirez (‘25) heard about the event from an ABY member Chelin Isaacson (‘25) and pointed to the rain as enhancing his experience.
“I immediately decided to run in the race when [Isaacson] told me it was for sexual assault awareness and [that] all the money earned would be donated,” Ramirez said. “My favorite part of this race was running around town with my best friend in the rain. This is the furthest I’ve ever ran in one go and it was fun, especially in the rain.”
Abby Panka (‘27) similarly didn’t let the rain ruin the experience and explained that she enjoyed the social aspect of the event.
“[ABY and NASA members] encouraged my friends and I to do it and we thought it would be fun,” Panka said. “Even though it was raining, it was a great time with the walk, food truck, and socializing at Dixie’s.”
ABY and NASA are planning to make the 5K an annual event. According to Kaasa, ABY wrote into their chapter’s constitution that the event is to be held annually.
