Central College will kick off its annual Hoo-Rah Day celebration with the launch of the 1853 Challenge.

The 1853 Challenge begins 53 days before Hoo-Rah Day and runs from Sunday, February 15th to Wednesday, April 8th. During that time, participants are encouraged to commit to completing 18 hours of service and/or tracking 53 miles by walking, running, biking or swimming. The service component was added in 2025 to celebrate the World of Good comprehensive campaign and Central’s commitment to service. Central students, employees, alumni, family and friends can join the challenge by registering at central.edu/alumni/challenge and printing a log sheet. Participants are encouraged to share their journey and Central pride on social media by tagging Central and using #1853CentralChallenge. Completed challenge sheets must be submitted to the Central Advancement Office by Thursday, April 9th to be entered into a prize drawing from the Spirit Shoppe. Individuals who complete both service and wellness portions of the challenge will be entered for a larger prize.

Challenge sheets may be emailed to Mary Benedict at benedictm@central.edu. They may also be mailed to or dropped off at the Central Advancement Office in Central Hall, located at 812 University St., Campus Box 5200, Pella, Iowa, 50219.