Members of the Austin community will jog downtown Saturday wearing thongs, feather boas and glitter to raise proceeds for the homeless in honor of the late Leslie Cochran, a homeless Austin icon.

The Thong Jog packet pick-up starts at 9 a.m. at Lipstick24, and the race will begin at 10 a.m. Participants can choose to jog one mile or run a 5K. Participants are encouraged to dress eccentrically in memory of Cochran. Lipstick24 will host an after party where participants may compete in a flip cup tournament. Organizers will donate part of the proceeds from registration fees to Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a social outreach ministry that provides food and clothing to the homeless.

Cochran died last March after battling illnesses suffered since a head injury in 2009. The race is designed to honor Cochran in a respectful manner, race coordinator Sara Henry said.

“Leslie had a sense of funkiness and when he died, Austin lost a little bit of its personality,” Henry said. “The goal of the Thong Jog is to keep that alive, and to keep that weird Austin culture going.”

This will be the first Thong Jog, but Henry said she hopes it will become an annual event.

“The point of the race is not to over-sexualize things,” Henry said. “There are children registered to participate in the race. We want people to keep in mind that it is a family friendly event.”

Registration for the Thong Jog ends Thursday. Register online at austinthongjog.com. The fee is $40.

Printed on Thursday, October 18, 2012 as: Thong Jog supports homeless