"Midnight Run has been part of Marquette for over ten years now," Jacoby said. "So it's had a long, flourishing history with an emphasis on service and reflection."

Jacoby said they hope to draw 200 or more participants and enough funds to pay for the food for the Noon Run program and cover other expenses.

"I volunteered my freshman year in Noon Run, and it helped me to realize that the homeless are people too," Jacoby said.

"I think that Marquette being in the middle of Milwaukee, the issues of poverty and the homeless are a reality and we should address them."

Senior Zach Mountin, another student coordinator for Midnight Run, said he was drawn to the program because of his faith.

"Being a Christian called me toward social justice and recognizing the plight of every human being," Mountin said.

According to Mountin, the Midnight Run/Walk helps programming in two areas always in need of improvement: volunteers and funding.

"It is difficult to fund a program like this, so the fundraiser is very important to our budget," Mountin said. "We pretty much run ourselves with the exception of a few grants and what University Ministry has given, but we still need the money to buy food for everyone, take care of our van and cover the expenses of our events."

Last year, Midnight Run/Walk raised $1,500 for the program and this year hopes are that the event can raise $2,000, said Gerry Fischer, director of Midnight Run.

"We work primarily in the central city of Milwaukee, covering about ten different neighborhoods and serving hundreds of people," Fischer said.

"So that gives us a large area to cover and we need the funds from the Run/Walk to help us throughout the year. For example right now our van will probably need to be repaired or replaced soon."

According to Fischer, Midnight Run has major benefits to University Ministry.

"The student effort in this really makes our ministry stand out and be visible to everyone," Fischer said. "This way people can actually see what we do and the results and comfort we get from our services so that maybe we can spark some interest in others to volunteer their time to Midnight Run.",”Rikida N. Starace”

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