Slippin’ and sloppin’, flippin’ and floppin’, runnin’ and rastlin’ – mud volleyball, fun and charity were the themes of the day.

After days of continuous rain, mother nature finally let up in time for Alpha Omicron Pi’s annual fund raiser for arthritis research.

About 200 people showed up for mud volleyball on a beautiful sunny day, and everyone was wet and muddy by dark.

Half-naked people, fire trucks, flowing water, a slip and slide, a loud D.J. and an English bulldog all made their way to Western’s Ag Farm in what was hailed by participants as a successful event.

“Everything went real well today,” said Russellville senior Laura Page, the fund raiser’s organizer.

Page said nine fraternities and six sororities entered the contest to help raise $1,400.

“We’ve been doing this since the eighties,” Page said. “There are more people here today than in previous years. It’s been great.”

All the teams played hard, and many claimed they would leave champions. In the end, there were only two left – Farmhouse and Chi Omega.

Most agreed it was all about fun and playing for charity.

“I just came out here to spend time with my fraternity brothers,” said Mammoth Cave junior Adam Johnson, a Farmhouse member. “I think this is the first time we’ve won this. We didn’t expect to get that far.”

The Chi O’s, on the other hand, said they were shooting for the title all along.

“It was a little messy, but we all decided that we wanted to win,” said Louisville junior Karrie McGrath, a Chi O. “Nobody expected us to, so it was real exciting. We beat the KD’s 15-1.”

After a game and a roll in the mud, everyone took their turn getting hosed off by the Woodburn Fire Department.

“We came out here to keep things wet and muddy, and then rinse them off,” Assistant Chief Jerry Travelstead said. “It looked like everyone had a real good time. I overheard one girl say she hadn’t been this dirty since she was eight-years-old. That’s what it’s all about.”

As music by Outkast blasted across the field, students may have been getting fresh, but they definitely weren’t so clean.

“I’ve got mud in my butt,” said Owensboro freshman Erika Brown, an AOPi member. “It’s so gross.

“This is crazy fun though. It’s a fun way to put your friends in the mud and them not get mad. The funniest moment was when the girls that don’t like to get dirty got mud crammed in their face. That was awesome.”

As the sun went down and the activities came to a close, friends laughed, embraced and shared a hose down.

Covered with mud and walking his dog Pacino, Farmhouse member John Tower, a senior from Memphis, Tenn., said this fundraising event is one of the most enjoyable of the year.

“It’s a real good time getting everybody to come out,” Tower said. “If you’re not getting dirty, you’re not having fun. It’s a good place to set aside our fraternal differences and just have fun.”

Reach Jay Lively at [email protected].