The second annual Pete Ruggieri Memorial Un-Run will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, at Phantom Power, 121 W. Frederick St., Millersville. Participants must be age 21 and up unless they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and a ticket for the event will include food and a beverage from the bar. Proceeds will benefit Jefferson Health's Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center to assist its research of thyroid cancer treatments.

The fundraiser will offer a clever take on the traditional 5K run format: Although participants are encouraged to arrive in their favorite activewear in preparation for the "race" at 3 p.m., the "runners" will only need to take one step to cross the finish line. After completing all 0.0 miles of the course, participants may celebrate by enjoying a meal provided by The Fat Is Where It's At Barbeque. Registration will include one meal ticket, and a meal will include pulled pork, pulled chicken, macaroni and cheese, smoked beans and coleslaw.

In addition to entry in the "lengthy" run, registration will include a numbered race bib, a 0.0 sticker and participation in prize drawings. Door prizes will include items donated by local businesses and organizations such as Tellus360, the Lancaster Stormers, Stubby's Bar and Grille, John Wright Restaurant and Passenger Coffee. The event will also feature yard games, tabletop games and other festivities.

The concept of a runless race was the brainchild of Pete Ruggieri, who died in March 2023 after a long battle with thyroid cancer. Ruggieri started organizing the event a few years ago, but his plans were placed on hold due to safety restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and Ruggieri's declining health. After Ruggieri's death, his wife, Stephanie Horst, began organizing the fundraiser in his memory, and the first Un-Run was held in September 2023. "I decided it was such a great idea that I couldn't let it die with him," Horst said.

Ruggieri was known to many in the Lancaster community as the founder of the Santa Stumble, an annual bar crawl that raised more than $200,000 for the horses and dogs in the City of Lancaster Bureau of Police's mounted patrols and K-9 units. Nearly 100 community members participated in the first Un-Run, raising approximately $6,000 and sharing stories in memory of their favorite local jokester.

"Pete was a clown, but he didn't want the attention; he did it because he really recognized the importance of having fun. That's kind of how he served the world," said Horst. "I think we build relationships with each other by having fun, and Pete saw it as essential."

While Ruggieri's health declined, he participated in a clinical trial at Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. After Ruggieri's death, Horst asked family members and friends to send donations to the cancer center in his memory.

For more information or to register for the event, visit https://tinyurl.com/unrun2024.