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The Daily Tar Heel

Students cream Duke without the help of the basketball team

UNC students threw pies in the faces of people chanting “Go Blue Devils!” in the Pit on the day of the UNC-Duke basketball game. 

But they had to donate three dollars for the privilege. Relay for Life of UNC-Chapel Hill hosted Pie a Dookie from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

“I used to be a Duke fan. I applied to Duke but got denied, so this is the first time I am denouncing my Duke fandom,” said Nyal Patel, a first-year business major, who threw a pie. 

Lexi Akeyson, a sophomore and spokesperson for UNC Relay for Life, said the more vocal and obnoxious the Duke University fans got, the more UNC students participated in throwing pies. 

“This is just a really fun way for UNC students to get hype for the game tonight and hopefully it will make the atmosphere at the Dean Dome tonight even crazier,” Akeyson said. “And when we rush Franklin, people can say they pied a Duke student in the face today.” 

Akeyson said the students who volunteered to pretend to be Duke fans are part of Relay for Life and wanted to support the cause.

“There are some closet Duke fans here at UNC, so I think we really bring them out to be on full display,” Akeyson said.

Nikki Trupiano, a senior and the corporate relations chairperson for UNC Relay for Life, said all the money from the event goes to the American Cancer Society for patient services, advocacy, education and research for cancer patients. 

“Last year we raised over $123,000 just by UNC Relay,” Trupiano said.

Trupiano said UNC Relay for Life has hosted the event for at least three years now. Akeyson said the organization hosts other fundraising events throughout the year, like a dodgeball tournament and a Zumbathon.

“This is one of our really exciting events that we think brings the UNC community together,” Akeyson said.

university@dailytarheel.com

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