Stephanie Horst said to understand what the third annual Pete Ruggieri Memorial 0.0 Un-Run is about, you must first know a little about Ruggieri.

Ruggieri, who passed away in March 2023, was a charitable, larger-than-life personality who insisted that everyone around him was having a good time, Horst said.

Fun and philanthropy are the focus of the Un-Run, which will be held Saturday, April 26, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Phantom Power, 121 W. Frederick St., Millersville.

Doors will open at 2 p.m., and the "race" will start at 3 p.m., followed by a meal at 3:05 p.m.

To purchase tickets, go to http://www.eventbrite.com and type "Pete Ruggieri" in the search bar with "Millersville, PA" listed as the location. Attendees must be 21 years old or over, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

The registration fee includes entry to the event, a barbecue meal, a numbered race bib, a "0.0" sticker, a chance to win door prizes, yard games, table games, and "general frivolity," said Horst.

The Fat Is Where It's At Barbeque, an award-winning competitive barbecue team, will provide the buffet meal, which will include pulled pork, pulled chicken, macaroni and cheese, smoked beans, and coleslaw.

Participants are asked to come dressed in their most outrageous activewear; a prize will be awarded to the best-dressed runner.

The Un-Run will have a DJ for the first time, with DJ Neidermeyer spinning tunes.

Ruggieri had discussed plans for the Un-Run before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and his health declined. "I just thought it was such a great idea, we had to make it happen," Horst said.

The runners will stand behind a long tape like the kind commonly found at the finish line of marathons. Then Horst will use a megaphone to announce, "Are you ready to not run? On your mark, get set ..." and then blow a whistle. Everyone will take one step forward to break through the tape. That will be the end of the "run" and the beginning of the hijinks.

The event's activities will be based on Ruggieri's recurring jokes. There will be a scrapple toss to represent one of his favorite foods. Ruggieri created a Facebook page devoted to scrapple, and a Photoshopped image of scrapple ice cream went viral. The gag got so popular that a small creamery in Harrisburg actually produced scrapple ice cream, and Ruggieri appeared on television news when the debatably delectable dessert debuted at Broad Street Market.

There will be a tabletop horse racing game and a contest to guess the number of bricks in the "Gap Lighthouse," which is how Ruggieri referred to the Gap Town Clock.

Proceeds from the Un-Run will benefit Jefferson Health in Ruggieri's memory. The money will go into a fund managed by oncologist Marcia Brose and will support research and development of treatment options for thyroid cancer patients like Ruggieri.

Ruggieri, of Lancaster, was heavily involved in Masonic organizations and is perhaps best known as the founder of the Santa Stumble, which has raised more than $200,000 for various charities in its first 12 years. An animal lover, Ruggieri initially donated the proceeds to the Lancaster Police Foundation for the horses and dogs in the Lancaster Mounted Patrol and K-9 unit. Since the mounted patrol is now disbanded, the money goes to a variety of local charities.

The Santa Stumble is held in Lancaster city on the second Saturday of December. It started when Ruggieri and a few friends embarked on a bar crawl while dressed in Christmas-themed outfits and has grown exponentially, Horst said. "He was absolutely floored with how it took off," said Horst. "Of course everyone had a blast, because that's what happens when you go to an event Pete plans," Horst said. Now, Horst, John Hockley, and Joe Gebhard plan the event, which is expected to draw approximately 2,000 participants this year.

Ruggieri also created a satirical Facebook account called People of Lancaster, where he provided humorous commentary about local news items. He established the 505 Happy Hour Club, which met every Wednesday.

"Pete was a natural leader and a big idea person," Horst said. "Honoring Pete and having fun is one and the same. He personally would see to it that everybody who showed up had fun. Anytime we plan something in his memory, we have to make sure it's fun, because that's what he was all about."