Aggies dunk it, wear it and admire it, but the Traditions Council is now giving them a chance to run for it. This Saturday the Traditions Council will host Run for the Ring – a 5k that will endow four runners with scholarship money to go toward the purchase of their Aggie Ring, which will begin at 9:00 a.m. “The Aggie Ring is something that is special to almost everyone in the Aggie family,” said Jeremy Selvedge, senior English major and public relations chair for the Tradition’s Council. “The event just gives everyone a chance to get together and celebrate something that we all hold near and dear. It also gives everyone a chance to forget about finals.”The event started nearly 12 years ago when the Association of Former Students approached the Traditions Council with the idea for a three-mile run to promote the Aggie Ring.”It’s a good time to bring together a bunch of Aggies to partake in a charitable cause,” said sophomore electrical engineering major and avid runner Cody Nichols. “It’s a bunch of Aggies getting together to do their part.”All current students who purchase the $10 ticket and show up to participate in the race will be entered into a drawing. The four ring scholarships, two of which are valued at $1,000 and $500 respectively, will be awarded by raffle. The winners will be drawn from a hat, which contains the names of all the participants.”It’s definitely a huge part of an Aggie’s time at Texas A&M,” said Chris Dismuke, senior chemical engineering major and president of traditions council. “It’s an event for us to promote that excitement and give people a taste of what it’s like to get their Aggie Ring and we are so looking forward to announcing it on April 28 and pulling out names from the hat.”The race will begin at the Clayton Williams Alumni Building and will take participants by campus landmarks such as Koldus, the MSC and Military Walk. Participants are not required to run the event and may finish the race at their leisure. Non-students are also allowed to participate on the behalf of another student – a reminder of the gift of selfless service and fellowship that permeates the Aggie community.”The Aggie Ring symbolizes a lot,” Selvedge said. “To juniors it is a reminder of your four years at Texas A&M University and a reminder of times with your friends and relationships you have formed.”The Traditions Council is also arranging prizes for the top three runners who win the race as an incentive for more serious competitors, one of which will be a canvas print from Paulson Designs, college d?cor and fine art manufacturer. Promotional items will also be given to participants from the Traditions Council who has partnered with local business such as CC Creations.Money that is raised past the cost of covering the event will be reused for a special purpose.”The money that we raise above the cost of the event will be a separate prize for an Aggie Ring scholarship endowment to help give Aggie Rings to people who cannot fund them themselves,” Selvedge said.For senior students like Selvedge, the opportunity to help promote an A&M tradition has special meaning.”I know that as I get ready to graduate and to enter the real world I look at my Aggie Ring and I’m encouraged by the people that have come before me and the legacy that they have left,” Selvedge said.