With the fall season comes the onslaught of pumpkin spice lattes, haunted houses and multiple charity events, walks and runs.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness, Down Syndrome Awareness, Pit Bull Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness Month — among many other things.

The cooler weather brings out the charity events. It’s the perfect time of year to go for a walk or run, and with the holiday season approaching, volunteers are more likely to give money, time and other donations.

As Wichita State students, getting out to volunteer in the community shows the university’s commitment to local, national and international needs.

But the quest to stand out among a variety of worthy causes is a challenging one. Gathering support for a cause is made much more difficult when there are multiple 5K walks and races in a single weekend.

This requires organizations to find a more unique event or theme to garner participants.

The ALS Association’s campaign to find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — is a prime example. The Ice Bucket Challenge was a huge success online, raising more than $20 million for research.

Other local charity organizations have adopted themes and special occasions for their events to gain popularity, such as Ballet Wichita’s 5K Art Run in which participants jog in tutus and help paint pieces of art after the race.

Wichita State’s own Ross McFarland is the inspiration and annual guest of honor at the Rosstoberfest Run for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, a parent-led grassroots organization to research and promote advocacy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. WuShock and the WSU cheer team attend the race, and runners are awarded with a brat and a beer at the finish.

Zombies, color splashes and dance marathons are other popular themes.

Without a unique premise, standing out amongst a variety of charity events is not easy. While all the causes deserve support, many people have limited funds and time to donate, especially students.

Because of this, hopes to be the charity of choice dwindle with each event on the calendar — and there are several.

In a perfect world, every cause would have a charity event. But that’s not the case.

—For the editorial board,

Shelby Reynolds