???Inclement weather didn't stop UB's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance (LGBTA) from hosting their second Amazingly Gay Race at the Buffalo Aquarium of Niagara on Saturday.
???The event is loosely based on the CBS show The Amazing Race. After a successful mini-race was held in the Student Union last month, the organization decided to apply the game to a bigger playing field.
???Ken Coogan, a senior animal behavior major and member of the LGBTA, has worked at the aquarium in Niagara Falls for nearly a decade and suggested having the event at there.
???"It's a great place because not a lot of people know about it," Coogan said.
???The race consisted of five stops where members needed to accumulate information and complete tasks.
???The final leg of the race involved LGBTA members having to paint without their hands like penguins and seals do.
???"All of our animals paint. Our penguins walk through paint and then walk on top of canvas, and the sea lions and seals hold paint brushes in their mouth," Coogan said.
???About 20 students formed teams and participated in the race. Many were excited about the heated rivalry between fellow teams.
???"We get very competitive," said Seth Girod, a junior psychology major and secretary of LGBTA.
???It wasn't just the friendly competition that drew students in to participate. The event was also an opportunity for students to get a first look at the aquarium.
???"It sounded like a very fun activity and I've never been to an aquarium here in Buffalo and I wanted to check it out," said Andrew Heymann, a sophomore business major.
???Rosemarie Pacheco, a junior history major and president of the LGBTA, described the race as a fun opportunity for members to bond.
???"The goal of the event is community building. As in all clubs, you try to form events where all members can have a common ground and have a good time. It's strictly for fun, nothing to do with activism," Pacheco said.
???The winners of the race were the Red Team, which consisted of LGBTA members and non-members. They received free tickets to the group's banquet, which will be held next semester.
???"I think it went great. Everyone had an excellent time, and a bunch of people were asking when we're going to have the next race and what we're going to do," Pacheco said.
???The group hopes to hold another Amazingly Gay Race again next semester.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
