Ryerson engineering students geared up at 11 a.m. Thursday morning to start their annual bug push, an event dedicated to raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society this year.
Rain or shine, this event will go on, and this year, it’s rain.
The bug push involves students pushing a new 1973 Volkswagen Beetle around Ryerson’s Kerr Hall quad for 24 hours.
The car is painted bright purple to match the Ryerson engineering colours. It also sports the license plate “BUG 2.0” and the classic RyEng sticker is on the back.
There’s no engine and no transmission — all the car contains is a steering wheel, functioning windshield wipers, seats and a stereo with an auxiliary plugin, which is well-used for the 24 hours.
“I actually used to have that same car, in bright orange,” said Thomas Duever, dean of engineering at Ryerson, who joined in for the first push around the quad. Also there to witness the bug push were Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi and Coun. Norm Kelly.
The bug push is organized by the Ryerson Engineering Student Society (RESS) and happens every March in honour of National Engineering Month.
Mariam Nouser, vice-president student life at RESS, said that the Canadian Cancer Society was chosen as this year’s charity because of her uncle, who died of cancer. “This event is for him today. He would have loved to be here, and to see the bug. He loved things like that,” Nouser said.
This year’s rain is welcomed by the students after they pushed the bug through freezing cold weather last year and a snowstorm the year before.
The bug push has been going on for 12 years.
“It’s a nice break from midterms to just hang out and do some good,” said Zrinka Vlasic, a third-year chemical engineering student.
You don’t have to be an engineer to help push the bug, and the RESS has 200 waivers waiting for participants to sign up and get behind the car.
The push will wrap up at 11 a.m. on March 11.
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