What Little 500 actually means

It’s so close I can almost taste it. Little 500 Week is literally days away. For some, it may begin this Sunday and run all the way through April 27.

I salute you brave souls, as I always end up falling on my sword and taking a few days off from the week’s festivities. But something struck me as I began thinking about the Little 500 week of my senior year at IU.

I’ve never been to the actual men or women’s bike race.

For years, I’ve commemorated an event I’ve never even witnessed. It’s like celebrating Christmas when you’re not even a Christian. Well, I suppose I do that every year. But this is totally different. So I decided to do a little research on the event, and I was actually quite surprised at what I found out.

The first Little 500 race took place in 1951, during which 7,000 students attended and $6,000 was raised to support student scholarships. Adjusted for inflation, that amount would provide more than $50,000 in scholarships today.

More than 60 years later, more than 25,000 people travel from all over to attend the Little 500 race to raise more than $1 million for undergraduate scholarships. Full disclosure — I had absolutely no idea the race raised money for student scholarships until I decided to write this column.

Discovering that Little 500 week is actually about providing education to deserving students is really, really cool. I’m not here to shame the students who will ride off the rails next week and party their faces off in lieu of attending class.

I plan to be among you and to enjoy my last Little 500 as an IU student as I have for the last three years. But don’t do so without acknowledging what this upcoming week is really about. I didn’t for three years, and now I’m embarrassed.

Little 500 week is about players who have trained all year to ride in this race. It’s about countless students who will receive aid in paying their college tuitions. It’s about a Hoosier tradition that’s lasted more than 60 years and inspired an Academy Award-winning movie, which I’m yet again embarrassed to say I haven’t seen.

Take the time to have fun next week, and don’t beat yourself up over one missed class or assignment. But do so knowing what you’re partying for.

And take the time to actually attend the race, because you only have so many chances to do so as a student. Take it from somebody who has missed three and isn’t planning on doing the same this year.

wdmcdona@indiana.edu