Despite the cold and blustery weather, a group of 15 students, some dressed in Halloween costumes, lined up outside the Cook Carillon Tower at Grand Valley State University on Saturday morning.

The event was a Halloween 5k costume run/walk, with proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Stars for Make-A-Wish Club at GVSU sponsored the race.

“I think the event went as good as we could have expected for us being a smaller club,” said Rachel Piasecki, president of the club. “People came and had a good time while doing it.”

Piasecki said the Stars for Make-A-Wish Club’s main focus is fundraising for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an international organization that seeks to grant wishes of children with life-threatening diseases.

Piasecki said that the club decided to run the event because it is something different from the usual bake sales and other fundraisers the club does.

“We wanted to open people to trying new things and wanted to expand their horizons,” she said, adding that the club might run the event again next year.

Those who walked the 5k were given $5 gift cards to Boardwalk Subs, and runners were given $25 gift cards to Uccello’s.

“People always give out medals at races,” Piasecki said. “We wanted to give people something they would use.”

The winner of the event, GVSU senior Jeff Warren, showed up at the race in an Iron Man costume.

“I found out about the event on Twitter,” he said. “I like to run to stay in shape and thought it would be fun to dress up in costume. I found out that donations went to Make-A-Wish and thought that was really cool.”

During the 2012-13 school year, the Stars for Make-A-Wish Club raised about $700 for the foundation.

According to the foundation’s website, it granted, “nearly 14,000 wishes in 2012 alone.” In the past, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has provided children with opportunities to go somewhere, be something for a day, meet someone, have something or give something.

“I love that we can help children who have a life-threatening disease have at least one happy moment,” Piasecki said. “It’s important to help children realize that there’s more to life than just the dark times.”