What: Second annual ‘Color Me Free’ Fun Run

When: 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3

Where: Industrial Park, John Day

Cost: $20 a person; $40 per family

More stations, goodies at this year’s ‘Color Me Free’ event Oct. 3

By Cheryl Hoefler

Blue Mountain Eagle

JOHN DAY – It’s time to run – or walk – with the colors again.

Heart of Grant County’s “Color Me Free” Fun Run, which kicks off Domestic Violence Awareness month, is coming up Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Industrial Park in John Day.

Registration is at 8 a.m. and the event starts at 10 a.m.

This is the second year for the colorful, family friendly community event which promotes wellness and healthy lifestyles. Individuals, families and organizations are welcome to participate.

People can run, walk or even skip if they wish at their own pace, and don’t even have to complete the course. Along the way, they’ll have packets of colored powder to throw at participants, and will themselves get “showered” at color stations.

Participants can look forward to more of everything this time around – color stations, goodies and packets of Hippie Powder.

It’s the Hippie Powder that puts the “color” in the event, and sets it apart from other running and walking events.

A brand of Holi powder – often used during Holi, a Hindu religious spring festivals – it’s basically just colored cornstarch. It’s also non-toxic and environmentally safe.

The brand Heart of Grant County buys is made in America, and is touted as the safest Holi powder on the market.

There will be six color stations this year – red, yellow, green, bright pink, purple and teal – enough to turn everyone and everything up at the Industrial Park into one big rainbow.

Betty Beil of Canyon City is ready to run with the colors again.

Beil participated in the 2014 “Color Me Free” Fun Run, along with several family members, including her daughter-in-law, Tia Gibson of Vancouver, Wash., and three of her five grandchildren, Teagan, Rae and Gunner.

They are all signed up again for this year’s event.

“It was just fun. You don’t have to worry about running – there was no pressure,” she said.

They especially liked the option of walking – or skipping or hopping – during the route because that was the pace of the “little legs” they had with them.

The fact it’s a kid friendly event is a big attraction, too, for Beil.

Her grandchildren had so much fun last year with the powdered paint, she said, “They were even laying in it.”

Beil said she had never participated in a color run before, and likes this one because it “benefits a great cause.”

She added, “We plan to make it an annual thing.”

And yes, there are a lot more goodies this year. The stash includes a backpack, water bottle, white T-shirt, race number, bag of paint to toss, bottle of water, key chain, magnet, nail file, Emergen-C drink packet, granola bar and fruit snacks.

The cost is $20 a person or $40 for a three-person family group. Early registration is encouraged to be guaranteed goodies. Forms are available at Triangle Oil, The Corner Cup, The Blue Mountain Eagle, and Java Jungle in John Day and Prairie City, or from Heart of Grant County.

For more information, call Heart at 541-575-4335 or email heartgc@ortelco.net.