Most women love chocolate. There's just something about it that draws them in.
The Women's Resource Center hosted a 5K run Jan. 23 to kick of its first Women's Health and Wellness Chocolate Festival.
The race began at 8 a.m. at the Mell Street entrance of the Ralph B. Draughon Library.
Runners made their way around campus and finished in front of Cater Lawn.
Jenny Tillman, senior in human development and family studies and co-chair for the chocolate festival, said the race was a fun chance to promote the chocolate festival.
Anna Becker, freshman in business and a member of the equestrian team, said she decided to run the race because she wanted to feel accomplished and join her other teammates in the race.
"It's a team thing," Becker said.
Lauren Wissert, senior in nutri- tion dietetics and volunteer coordinator for the chocolate festival, said chocolate is the "draw in," but the real reason for the event is to promote a healthy lifestyle for women.
Tillman said the chocolate festival is an opportunity for Auburn women to see all of the resources available to them via the 23 health-related resource tables set up at the festival.
Tickets cost $5 for participants to browse the resource tables and get their ticket punched four times for a sampling of chocolate.
Wissert said she is looking forward to the chocolate, but she is especially looking forward to the response of the people and the opportunity for them to get educated on women's health.
Along with the resource tables, Wissert said there will also be a massage table, games, music and a silent auction for participants to enjoy.
"We want Auburn women to love themselves and to take care of themselves and to be responsible, happy women," Tillman said.
Chynna Dulac, sophomore in nutrition science, won second place at the 5K in the women's 20- 29 age group.
Dulac said she wanted to par- ticipate in the race because women's health is part of her interest in nutrition science.
Dulac said society and the media have made beauty unattainable in the eyes of most women, and that bothers her.
"Not everyone has to be an athlete or a model," Dulac said. "You just need to feel good in your own skin."
The chocolate festival is today and will be in the Student Center in Room 2200 from noon to 3 p.m.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Auburn University Body Image Education and Eating Dis- orders Awareness.
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