During the weekend of the Iowa State-Iowa rivalry, the two schools teamed up to work for a good cause by participating in the 10th annual Game Ball Run, a fundraiser which helps raise money for the battle against multiple sclerosis.

Each year, the game ball is brought from the visiting school’s city to the home school’s city by a series of runners and cyclists, finishing at the home stadium before the game begins.

At that time, the ball is presented to the officials and an announcement is made about the ROTC fundraiser.

“This is an annual event that has been going on for a decade which has both universities working together to help out toward a good cause,” said Wendy Wilson, Special Events Coordinator for the Iowa chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Organization was assisted by Lt. Randy Schlitter from the University of Iowa ROTC chapter.

The fundraiser is held by the University of Iowa ROTC with the goal of creating awareness about MS and its effects on those suffering from it. As far as monetary goals, the group hoped to raise $1,200.

The event started last Friday afternoon in Ames with ISU head coach Dan McCarney giving the game ball to the ROTC group and the Iowa Chapter representative. “It’s good to do what we can to help raise money for this fundraiser,” McCarney said.

This has been an ongoing tradition since 1987, when the fundraiser was started for a young woman named Kristy Samms. She was a student at the University of Iowa and a cadet in the Army ROTC Hawkeye Battalion.

In 1986, just one month shy of graduation and being commissioned through the Army ROTC program, Samms was diagnosed with MS. She was not commissioned because her MS was considered a pre-existing condition.

The 1996 trek included people running and bicycling with the ball throughout the day on Friday and Saturday morning. The group stopped in Tama to pick up a donation from the Tama County I-Club.

ISU and Iowa have participated together every year except 1995, when UNI brought the ball from Cedar Falls to Iowa City.