Repping red bandanas and an American flag, Duncan Hall residents set the tone for their annual ND110 event with a 24-hour run. The run, which was divided into shifts, began Monday evening with Duncan men running around campus.
ND110 took place from 5-9 p.m. last night in Notre Dame Stadium. While only members of the Duncan Hall community participated in the 24-hour run, members of the entire Notre Dame community joined the ND110 stadium event, in which participants run up the stadium stairs, starting every 30 minutes. The event gets its name from the 110 flights that firefighters had to climb in the Twin Towers.
ND110 was established six years ago by two Duncan Hall residents who had personal connections to the 9/11 attacks. Every year since, Duncan Hall has continued to honor the first responders who responded to the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
ND110 co-comissioner junior George LaVigne has participated in ND110 throughout his time at Notre Dame. Leading up to this year’s event, he shadowed other ND110 junior leaders. According to LaVigne, he decided to become more involved in the event because of its significance.
“I hope to emphasize how this event continues to foster a sense of unity and selflessness,” said LaVigne. “It symbolizes something bigger than ourselves. Both this campus and the broader country were built on something greater than ourselves.”
Funds raised from ND110 support Heart 9/11, an organization which aids people and communities impacted by 9/11. Additionally, Heart 9/11 serves those who have been devastated by natural disasters.
In his morning Introduction to Philosophy class, freshman Antonio Congelos made an announcement promoting the event to his classmates. After class, Congelos reiterated ND110’s importance to those within Duncan and those in communities outside Notre Dame.
“Duncan has raised plenty already, and I would love it if anyone else would participate,” Congelos said. “It’s from 5 to 9 p.m., and the event runs in 30-minute intervals. Be sure to scan it after the lecture, so we are not interrupting, thank you.”
After participating in ND110 for the first time, Congelos maintained a similar level of excitement as in his morning philosophy class.
“[It] felt great being a part of it, especially because we’re such a strong community at Duncan,” Congelos said. “It felt good to see what Duncan was about, and people were really pushing themselves. It was lighthearted, but people were pushing themselves for the cause of it.”
At the conclusion of the event, LaVigne reported ND110 garnered over $15,000 in donations via PayPal and cash. LaVigne did not yet have information from credit card readers.
“[I feel] so blessed to be surrounded by a community that cares about our country and cares for our first responders, it’s truly such an honor to climb for such a great cause,” freshman Ella Smoker said.
