COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, which is FANTASTIC! Keep spreading the word about the great science going on!

But, it's still too risky for us to get together for the annual 3.14-mile "Pi K" Run Followed by Trivia & Pie Party. BUT WE WON'T LET A STUPID VIRUS STOP US FROM CELEBRATING PI DAY!!!!! Here's the plan:

1. REGISTER:

Register EARLY (by midnight February 24) if you want this year's awesome PiK t-shirt delivered by March 14th to wear on Pi Day.

Register later (until midnight on March 14) to get your awesome PiK t-shirt delivered sometime after Pi Day.

Pi & Pie Fans anywhere can join this year -- no need to come to Chicago! (There will be a small surcharge to ship t-shirts overseas. There's math involved.)

All registrants receive this year's awesome Pi K t-shirt they can wear proudly to show their respect for math and support of science outreach.

Help us raise even more awareness of the importance of science by registering for Charity Bib. Engage your friends and family in fundraising in support of science outreach. Raise $314 and your registration fee is waived! To do so you don't register here through eventbrite, but register through our Charity Bib page HERE.

2. "RUN" 3.14 something:

Sometime before afternoon on March 14, you should run, walk, skip, cartwheel, or saunter 3.14 miles, which is a little more than a 5K. (It's the honor system. We won't know if you spent 3.14 hours on your couch.) You can also go 3.14 kilometers, furlongs, acres, leagues, or city blocks if you choose.

You can map your route with an app, if you're into that, submit it to us and possibly win a prize for it!

3. PLAY TRIVIA:

The first 200 people who register here on Eventbrite or through Charity Bib will be sent a Zoom link the morning of March 14 to join us online at 3:14pm (pi/pi ) that afternoon, or 6:28pm (2pi-pi ) that evening. Everyone must choose only one trivia session; prizes are the same for both.

We'll use the Kahoot platform for trivia. ISC's Game Master will share the question screen, and players use their own phones (or an alternate tab on a computer) to select answers. You'll toggle to Kahoot.it or open the Kahoot app on your phone, and enter the Game PIN once it's on the screen. If you haven’t used Kahoot before, you can download it prior to the 14th. It’s not necessary to use the app, but some find it easier than switching between tabs on your computer.

4. PRIZES:

One Trivia Winner for each session will receive their choice of a t-shirt or mask from ISC's Science Swag Store! Check out the goods HERE.

Creative Route - if you use a running app that creates a map of your route (e.g., Strava, MapMyRun, Garmin, etc.), we will award one winner of the most creative route related to pi, pie, or math their choice of a t-shirt or mask from ISC's Science Swag Store! To be eligible, you must submit your route to PiDay@IllinoisScience.org with the subject line "Route Contest" no later than 12:00 noon (CT) Sunday, March 14. Entries are judged by ISC's volunteer Pi Day committee who are generous geniuses so their decision is final.

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Mid-March is the perfect time to treat your body to some exercise, your tastebuds to some delicious pie, and your brain to some fun trivia. Join us! All proceeds support the STEM outreach efforts of Illinois Science Council, an independent 501c3 nonprofit based in Chicago that offers creative and engaging science programs for teens and adults.

Significance of Pi:

Pi, in case you don't remember, is abbreviated to 3.14 but continues indefinitely. To date, it has been calculated by computer to over 1.2 trillion digits. Competitions exist for reciting the most digits by memory. As the world's most famous mathematical constant, Pi is important to many formulas used in mathematics, science, engineering and statistics. 

Awesome Sponsors! If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities with Illinois Science Council and our many STEM events and program, email Monica at PiDay@IllinoisScience.org.

The 2021 Illinois Science Council Pi K t-shirt is a softstyle unisex cotton tee and available in sizes XS - 2XL.

The logo on the front is not some esoteric equation. Rather, it simply indicates this is a "Pi K" as opposed to a 5K run, and the exponent number indicates this year, 2021, is the 9th annual event.

The back of the shirt gives a nod to the pandemic and virtual nature of this year's event by featuring an image of the COVID-19 virus replacing the decimal in 3.14. The "dividing line" between 3.14 and ISC's logo is not a line at all. Up close you'll notice it's a long sequence of digits of pi.