ASU East students participated in the fifth annual ASU East Dauntless Drumstick Dash last weekend to raise money for the classified staff council's scholarship fund.
David Schwalm, vice provost at East, dressed in leather and cruised on his Harley motorcycle in front of the pack of runners. Schwalm has led the runners to the finish line the past three years.
Johnathan Tardieu, president of the International Student Club, won first place three years in a row, including this year. He said being in front meant he was immediately behind Schwalm's motorcycle. Tardieu said he breathed "a lot of exhaust from the motorcycle."
"I was trying to get as much oxygen in between the carbon monoxide," he said.
Walter Carter, who also works with the Department of Public Safety on East campus, was the core coordinator for the event and said an ASU East student club started the annual event.
"It all started [the first year] with two students from the NAMA [National Agri-Marketing Association] club and myself," he said.
Carter said the event has grown from 54 participants to more than 200 at this year's race, and the proceeds from the event go to a scholarship fund, Carter said.
"After this year we have put in well over $6,000 in the scholarship fund.
Ben Fasano, an ASU East employee who was responsible for timing the runners and updating the Web site for the event, said, "Next year, we hope to have a prime sponsor to take care of all our operational costs so we'll have more money for the scholarship fund."
Reach the reporter at erika.camardella@asu.edu.
