Students found a way to put South Bend snow to good use Saturday, racing down South Quad on improvised "dog sleds" for the third annual I-Domer-Rod to benefit the Declan Drumm Sullivan Memorial Fund.
Fisher, Lyons and Pangborn Halls co-sponsored the event, but competition was open to participants from all across campus.
Sophomore Maggie Rohlk, an organizer of the I-Domer-Rod, said the event was an opportunity to benefit a good cause while having fun.
"What better way to support charity than dogsled racing?" Rohlk said.
Senior Allie Rauh, a resident assistant in Walsh Hall, used the event as a bonding activity for her section.
"I-Domer-Rod was a really fun thing to do with the girls in my section and my sister," Rauh said.
Sophomore Emma Terhaar said Lyons made the event into a competition between sections by giving the girls the opportunity to earn points for their section by participating in the event.
While that incentive was valid regardless of the race's outcome, Terhaar said her team came to win.
"The concept of pulling people on sleds like dogs was very attractive for me," Terhaar said. "I'm planning to use precision and power to achieve maximum aerodynamics and win the race."
Pangborn freshman Gracie Gallagher said she participated because the event offered a fun way to exercise.
"It's a good way to get some exercise and some laughter," Gallagher said.
While students came for a number of reasons, Rohlk said it's fundamentally about benefitting the Fund, which was the impetus for its establishment three years ago.
"Fisher is one of the founding sponsors, and the first year [of I-Domer-Rod] took place as soon as the creation of the Declan Sullivan Memorial Fund," Rohlk said.
Contact Meg Handelman at mhandelm@nd.edu
