School News

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 August 2015 13:00

A unique color run will be held in the Mon Valley for the first time in October.

Participants in the event being organized by students, staff and parents at Belle Vernon Area Middle School will run or walk 5 kilometers through part of the community while being showered with colored powders made of food-grade cornstarch at stations along the route.

Also known as “The Happiest 5K on the Planet,” it focuses on having fun with family and friends while promoting exercise and a healthy lifestyle. The first run/walk took place in 2011 in Phoenix, involving thousands of people. It mushroomed into more than 300 events in 50 countries last year and continues to gain fans.

BVA Middle School’s Color Run will be among only five in Pennsylvania this year. The local event will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the BVA Middle School on Perry Avenue in Washington Township. The 5K (3.1-mile-long) route will be entirely within the township, passing through the Washington Heights and Fairhope neighborhoods.

Participants run or walk at their own pace – they are not timed and do not compete for finish prizes. They begin in clean white T-shirts and pass through the paint stations, each featuring its own special color, to be “blasted” by volunteers using spray bottles.

At the end, participants will find a party-like atmosphere back at school grounds where complimentary drinks and snacks will be available. The post-run celebration will include music and a Chinese auction.

Proceeds will benefit educational programs and activities at the BVA Middle School, whose students are in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades and live in five municipalities that make up the district.

Organizers are currently soliciting sponsorships, tax-deductible donations, auction items and other goods and services. One of the BVAMS parents, Kathy Forte, is serving as Volunteer Event Coordinator. She can be contacted at 724-466-2305 or at bvacolorrun@gmail.com.
Details for participants, including registration information, will be provided in the near future.