Five grills sent an aroma of roasting meat to the outreaches of Scheumann Stadium's parking lot Tuesday.
Huddled together under a pavilion, about 50 people braved the chilly breeze for a chance to win an iPod Nano Video or an Xbox 360, both of which were given as door prizes at the Mole Day picnic.
Ball State University's Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society came together at the pavilions north of the stadium to partake in the society's picnic.
Jason Riblett, faculty adviser for the group, said Mole Day is the American Chemical Society's celebration of the mole, which is a scientific measurement for atoms.
Mole Day is the kick off for National Chemistry Week, Riblett said.
"Mole Day is just a fun, chemist's holiday," he said. "[A mole] relates the very small world of atoms to the very big world of ours."
Club President Chris Suskovich said the group throws the picnic every year to raise money for the club. This year, it decided to give away 20 prizes as opposed to the four it gave away last year, Suskovich said.
A $5 ticket bought its holder all the food he could eat, including hotdogs, chicken and hot chocolate.
"A lot of people here are friends [of club members]," Suskovich said. "I mean, who's going to pass up all you can eat for $5?"
The ticket was also picnic-goers' entrances into the prize drawing, Riblett said.
The winners of the two most expensive prizes, the Xbox and the iPod, were not present at the picnic. The iPod winner was the mother of one of the club's members, and the winner of the Xbox could not be identified.
Other prizes given away included gift certificates from Muncie restaurants and movie passes.
Riblett said the difference between this year and past years are the sponsors who the club sought out in order to provide better prizes, such as the restaurant gift certificates.
Riblett said costs for the picnic were about $900, including the food and prizes. The club pre-sold more than 200 tickets to the event, raising about $1000, he said. More tickets were sold at the event, he said.
Proceeds from the event will help fund the club's Science Day on the Green, Suskovich said. During that event, elementary school students from around Muncie join the chemical society students, who demonstrate science experiments, then explain how they work, Suskovich said.
The club also uses the money to help pay for its annual trip to the American Chemical Society's national convention, he said.
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