SPOKANE, Wash. – If you have ever run Bloomsday, you have probably seen people throwing articles of clothing on a tree in downtown Spokane at the starting line.It is one of the more popular traditions of Bloomsday.You will often see a lot of shirts, jackets, and even some pants up there on Bloomsday. The good news is that it all ends up being for a good cause.After all the different waves of Bloomsday start times have left and crews are working to tear things down, the Geiger Correctional Facility sends crews of inmates with non-violent convictions to collect all of the clothes into two giant landscape trucks that they then bring back to their building to wash and clean before donating to local nonprofits.This tradition started several decades ago, before start times were staggered, so whoever showed up earliest got to be at the front. As you could imagine, this led to people showing up hours before the race, which is why they needed to wear extra layers to stay warm until they ran.Now, Bethany Lueck with Bloomsday says this is one of the most popular traditions of the race.”I think it’s just a way for people to give back,” said Lueck. “While they are doing what they love…”Theoretically, if it’s going back to local thrift stores, you could find it, re-buy it, and do the whole thing again next year. Pretty neat.
