There was no way anybody would finish this run clean or dry – but they did come out of it looking colourful.
The Nipawin Rotary hosted their second annual colour run at the Nipawin Regional Park June 3. Pat Chernesky, one of the event’s organizers, said it was a fundraiser for the community.
“All of the proceeds for this run go to the swimming pool improvements.”
Jackie Mackintosh was one of the people that participated in the run.
“I just like going with the grandkids and it was good,” she said.
As for having a cup of coloured cornstarch thrown at her for every kilometre of the 5K run, Mackintosh said it was good, that it didn’t bug her.
Chernesky said the cornstarch is non-toxic.
“If the participant wants to preserve the colour on their shirt, I understand that if you spray them with vinegar, it will fix the colour and they have the coloured shirt forever. If not, it washes out very easily.”
The organizer said she got the idea for the run from a similar event in Dauphin, Man.
“I went there to see if this is something we can do in our own community and I decided: yes it is,” she said. “We had never done this before, it was something new. People always want something new for a fundraiser.”
She added that being a family physician, it was important that any event involved families and promoted health living.
Chernesky said this year’s event worked out better than last year’s, with more people volunteering to help out.
“It gets the job done more efficiently,” she said. “We had a lot of trouble last year. The registration line was very slow last year. When you do something for the first time, you learn a lot for the next time. You can’t be perfect the first time.”
Because of the extra help from various community organizations, registration was faster and the event went smoother.
Chernesky acknowledged not only the efforts of the volunteers, but also that of the sponsors. Some local organizations sponsored the colour throwing stations at each kilometre of the run. The Fire Department brought a truck and the Fish and Game League donated the use of their hall.
The organizer said she expects the event will be done again next year.
