Students and community members will get to go through obstacles and run from Zombies for a good cause at the 2015 Zombie Obstacle Challenge course 3 p.m Saturday at the Coles County Fairgrounds.

Courtney Jones, a graduate assistant in the college of student affairs, said all of the profits made go to the Children’s Advocacy Center of East Central Illinois.

“They chose it because it has low funding from the state Illinois is providing,” Jones said. “It needs additional funding.”

CACECI works with different areas such as police departments, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the State’s Attorney’s Office, mental health providers, and local hospitals to advocate for children who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Jones said this is the first time they are having the obstacle course and their goal is to raise $800 in donations.

“If we do reach the goal, we’ll do it next year,” Jones said.

The cost for a ticket is $10 per person. The obstacle course has six challenges including a mud crawl, brain search, tire run, and Zumba.

If a competitor is able to finish all six challenges, they are able to go through the last challenge, the “Zombieland” challenge.

Zombieland has two sections participants can choose from, Sleepy Zombies or Speedy Zombies.

Every person who pays the $10 receives flag football flags that represent lives.

Participants compete in each challenge wearing the flags and trying to avoid the “zombies” that are trying to steal the flags.

People can compete in the course if they have at least one flag left.

“When all your flags are taken, you’re dead,” Jones said.

Additional lives can be purchased from the registration tent if they lose all three before completing the entire obstacle course.

“Or you can go get popcorn, cotton candy, and accept the loss,” Jones joked.

People acting as “heroes” will also be giving out free lives.

“It’s really unique,” Jones said.

A “Zombie Training Ground” is included in the admissions price as well as the Dark Maze, which is a scary maze people can go through.

There will be face painting, a bounce slide, and cotton candy, chips, and soda that can be purchased.

A lot of people have been working to make the event happen.

“Student Community Service has been doing a lot of work,” Jones said. “They are helping plan it, making sure it is running adequately.”

Rural King has also contributed to the event, along with the fraternity Phi Kappa Theta.

Jones said she was excited for the event.

“I am ready for a lot of organizations, fraternities to volunteer, everyone’s excited,” she said.

She said she wanted everyone to come, from the community and university.

“We’re looking for a communiversity,” Jones said. “That’s our slogan for the year. We want to get everyone to come to this event and support each other.”

Cassie Buchman can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].