After many years of planning, the Gamma Rho Lambda Omicron Chapter at Iowa State is executing Iowa State’s first ever Drag Dash on Saturday.

For $3, participants can dress in drag and race from Curtiss to Beardshear on Saturday, competing for prizes for fastest time and best dressed king and queen.

“We are kind of ‘queering up’ an old Iowa State tradition — the Curtiss to Beardshear run,” said Kenni Terrell, sophomore in journalism and mass communication and Gamma Rho Lambda Omicron event planning chair.

The Drag Dash is intended to be a celebration of drag culture by allowing people to learn history and information about drag while competing in a race.

“It’s more about cultural appreciation rather than appropriation,” Terrell said.

A portion of the proceeds from the Drag Dash will be donated to The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ youth, according to its website. 

“I think drag culture opens the doors for trans individuals and helps that society emerge and grow,” Terrell said. “The Drag Dash goes along with The Trevor Project in that we are both helping the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Leedz Salon will co-sponsor the Drag Dash and provide gift bag prizes for the winners.

“Our salon is located right in the heart of Campustown and we are known for servicing everybody, from young children to older people to people in every different ethnic group from Chinese to Arabic to German,” said Douglas Ziminski, owner of Leedz Salon. “We embrace anybody from any background and we are very respectful of everyone.”

Ziminski believes that as people evolve and time goes on, it is natural for people to become more accepting of differences, such as the transgender community.

“Different is not scary,” Ziminski said. “It’s just something that is.”