This guest post is by Jennifer Davide from the Cheney Family Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.
When you add a whole bunch of kids, sunshine, and passionate staff, what do you get?? A pretty darn good summer. Now add a Color Run with a water slide and you’ve got memories to last a lifetime.
As a team coming into summer, you are always searching for the new way to make summer the best. We had seen other clubs do a Color Run but never done it ourselves. We had thought about it in years past but, as ideas do, it came and went. This though, this was our year. Our new Branch Director had done it before and had the “know how.” We set the date, changed it a few times (in true Boys & Girls Club fashion), and bought our color. We were committed.
As summer flew by and the big day approached we had one mission: get the kids pumped. Our staff spent countless hours creating posters, updating social media, talking to parents, and spreading the news like it was the best thing since sliced bread. We even invited our administrative side of the organization to join in the fun (plus, who doesn’t like to show off their hard work)!
Everyone was sufficiently hyped. Our staff dug through their things at home and together we came up with enough various materials to create obstacles and keep the budget slim and lookin’ ready for summer. The day before was spent setting up and doing a dry run; making sure everything was perfect for the next day’s big debut.
Today was the day; the moment; the crown jewel of our summer! You could feel the excitement building throughout the Club. Our kids and staff came in white clothes ready to cover them with color. After lunch we got all of our kids into the gym for club meeting. We called the staff together and had a quick pow-wow on what the day would look like. Step one: get the staff on their A game. The goal was to have as much fun as possible while being as safe as possible. Step two: who was throwing the powder? The teens. What teen wouldn’t want to throw color on their friends? The teens would go through it first while their staff threw powder, then they would switch. Step three: Assign the order. We divided the kids by grade and assigned them their staff. The order would be 5th grade going down. The kids would go through with their staff then make their way to our cafe for snow cones (because snow cones are OBVIOUSLY the way to end any summer activity). Our staff were ready and the day was set.
When the kids came out they started with a water slide. The color would need something to stick to. Then, they would run toward a military-like army crawl station, followed by a large set of tires requiring expert level to overcome, risers to climb up and a pool to splash down into, all the while getting covered in the brightest of colors. They finished off the course with one last dive down the water slide and then onto the snow cones, sufficiently worn out.
We had done it! We had conquered the Color Run. The laughs, messy clothes, and crazy photos truly made memories to last a lifetime. One thing is for sure, a Color Run is on the top of our “to-do list” for next summer.
Jennifer is Program Director at the Cheney Family Branch. She has been in the Movement for 10 years, and calls the Club “her heart and soul :)”.
What a GREAT event! Not only was it the most fun ever, but the staff gave the teens the opportunity to help facilitate.
Do YOU have a story you want to see featured on the Club Experience blog? Comment below or email ClubXBlog@bgca.org.
Color Run is the only event where you get to party once you cross the finish line. The event is immensely popular all over the world and although runners do not receive any prizes, they are showered with colour run powder, which is made of corn starch. Color Run is not your typical fun run event because it puts more emphasis on fun. Even first-time runners are welcome and for families who are looking for a unique way to bond with children, Color Run is a great idea to consider. Participants need to pay for the registration fees, which may vary from region to region.