The Kennedy Color Run is not only the most fun event sponsored by the PTO, but also our fundraiser of the year. The course is held on the Kennedy field, where students will pass through the color zone and get doused in festive colors from head to toe. This event will be Friday, May 12, 2023 in the afternoon.
Check out the photo booth photos from The Kennedy Color Run 2023.
Important Dates:
- mid-April: Personal fundraising links sent to parents via email
- May 7th: Last day for online fundraising to count toward raffle tickets (see below for details)
- May 12th: Color Run!
- May 14th: Last day for online fundraising – top two students who raise the most win prizes (see below)
FAQs:
Can anyone participate?
Yes! All students and staff are welcome to participate and will receive a Color Run t-shirt and pair of sunglasses to wear during the run. These will be yours to keep following the event.
How much does it cost to participate?
The Color Run is open to all and is free to participate. Everyone who participates will receive a t-shirt and pair of sunglasses, even if they choose not to fundraise.
How do I earn raffle tickets?
This is a fundraiser, so we are encouraging students to ask friends, family and neighbors to donate to their personal fundraising pages. In mid-April, you will receive an email with the link to your student’s personal fundraising page. This page will have their name and grade level on it. Share this link with friends and family by email or post to social media to start collecting pledges.
For every $25 that a student raises to this online fundraising page, they will earn 1 raffle ticket to enter into the prize draw of their choice on the day of the Color Run. Following the run, we will draw and announce winners and hand out the prizes. So, for example, a student who raises $100 online will receive 4 raffle tickets. They can put these tickets into the draw for the prize(s) of their choice– each prize will have a separate ticket collection. The more money a student raises online, the more raffle tickets they earn and the higher their odds of winning a prize. This year’s prizes are listed below.
Don’t wait to share this link with friends and family! The cutoff for earning raffle tickets from online fundraising is the end of the day on Sunday, May 7 to give us time to make them.
There are two more prizes up for grabs following the Color Run! Our online fundraising page will stay open through the end of Sunday, May 14. The student who raises the most by this date will receive a $50 Target gift card. The next highest raiser will receive a $25 Target gift card. If we can meet or exceed our fundraising goal of $20,000, these prizes will be doubled (1st = $100 Target gift card / 2nd = $50 Target gift card)!
What prizes can I win?
The prizes for the 2023 Color Run are listed below:
- PS5 and games
- Nintendo Switch OLED Bundle
- AirPods Pro
- Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
- $50 H&M, $50 PacSun, $50 Hollister and $25 Starbucks gift cards
- 1-year Spotify Premium gift card and Light Up Bluetooth Speaker
- $100 Nintendo eShop gift card for use on Nintendo Switch and $50 GameStop gift card
- $50 Cinemark gift card, $25 Pizza My Heart gift card, $25 Starbucks gift card and $25 Bobalicious gift card
- $50 Visa gift card, $25 Basin Robbins gift card, and $25 Amazon gift card
How to earn additional prizes:
The online fundraiser link will remain open through the end of Sunday, May 14 to give students additional time to fundraise. The student who collects the most will win a $50 Target gift card; the next highest earner will win a $25 Target gift card. If we can meet or exceed our fundraising goal of $20,000, these prizes will be doubled (1st = $100 Target gift card / 2nd = $50 Target gift card)!
What is a Color Run?
A Color Run is like a walk-a-thon or jog-a-thon, except that there are color stations throughout the course where colored dust is gently tossed at students as they walk / run past. We aim for the body, not the face, but the color dust does waft through the air and they are likely to be covered head to toe by the end. Students wanting to participate, but not get dirty have the option of bypassing the color stations. This is an untimed event, so students should come ready to have fun!
What is at the end of the race?
Loads of laughter, treats and a Photo Booth.
What is the check-in process like?
Volunteers will be on campus the day of the event to check students in at brunch, lunch and during their PE period. Students will find the check-in tables on the blacktop near the gym where our volunteers will give them their t-shirt, sunglasses and raffle tickets (if they have earned any– see above for how these raffle tickets are earned). We will direct eligible students to deposit their raffle tickets into the prize draw of their choice right away, as these cannot be replaced if lost.
Students will receive a wristband when they check-in to verify that all the steps above have been completed. Only students with wristbands will be allowed onto the course during the run. Those without wristbands or not wanting to participate can watch and cheer their friends on from the side of the course a safe distance from the color zones.
Should my child bring extra clothes?
Always a good idea, especially if you don’t want color dust in your car. You can also just have them sit on a towel on the way home to protect the inside of your car.
This sounds fun! Can I help?
Yes! We need a lot of volunteers to pull this off. Students have also requested that we add an additional color station to the course this year, which means we need even more volunteers. Sign up to help here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044dafaf29a02-color3#/.
How long will the Color Run be?
The Color Run takes place during 7th period. Each grade level is released onto the course one at a time and they will have about 10 minutes to spend walking or jogging laps. After all grades have had a turn, we will draw the winners of the prize raffle and hand out the prizes. The students are released from school at the normal dismissal time.
Is the color powder safe?
The color dust is non-toxic and safe, made from a mixture of corn starch and food dye. We will hand out sunglasses to all students who participate to protect their ice. We recommend that they wear masks or bandanas around their nose and mouth.
Will the color stain my clothes, hair, shoes, etc?
The color powder will wash out of most fabrics but, just in case, we recommend that you wear clothing that you aren’t worried about getting dirty so that you can enjoy the event to the fullest! Depending on how colorful you get, the color may stain your skin, hair, and clothes until finally coming out after a few good washes. To help prevent stains, we recommend removing as much excess color dust as possible and washing clothing right away.
Additional questions? Please contact pto@kennedycougarspto.org and please check back often for updated details.