The Evesham Education Foundation’s (EEF) third annual 5K plus Color Run will be held at Helen Beeler Elementary School in Marlton on Saturday, Sept. 26.
And there are plenty of ways to get involved.
“For every event that we do, you’re always worried,” said EEF vice president Eric Guggenheim. “You’re always trying to get it right and at the end, when it’s all said and done, you look back on it and you smile and you hope everybody had a good time because they look happy.”
The chip-timed 5K will start at 8:30 a.m. Awards for top finishers will go to each age group, and participants will get text updates regarding live finish-line results. The event’s 1-mile, non-timed walk is family friendly and open to all ages and fitness levels. It will start at 8:45 a.m. The Color Run – a non-timed course – will start at 9:30 a.m. and is also open to all ages and skill levels.
Color powder stations will be placed throughout the course and participants in all three events will receive an EEF shirt.
The event will also include a PTA/PTO school team challenge. The team with the most registered participants will win $1,000. A minimum of 25 registered participants is required to qualify.
“It’s a joy to be a part of seeing how happy (the kids) are in the Color Run and how much powder has turned their white shirt into multiple different colors,” Guggenheim enthused. “It’s a fun way to put on an event for everybody and raise money at the same time …
“It’s rewarding, it’s fun and you’re doing it for a good cause and a good reason.”
The EEF is a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for students throughout the Evesham school district. Now more than 30 years old, it has invested more than $1.3 million in the schools, supporting academic readiness, mental-health services, gifted education, technology, the arts and enrichment programs that have collectively reached more than 5,000 students.
The foundation also collaborates with district administrators to fund programs that include the Larry Kull Coordinated Arts Program for Primary Students; the Metamorphosis Program, a middle-school summer enrichment program designed for select students who’ve just completed sixth grade; a literacy and math support program; and Tier III Enrichment, a weekly supplemental pull-out program that enhances daily program offerings for students identified as gifted.
The EEF also provides sports uniforms for middle-school interscholastic teams based on identified needs and on a rotating basis, and encourages after-school activities and clubs, among other efforts. The Color Run event is one the EEF planes for everyone; others are Designer Bag Bingo, Double Down Casino Night and the Larry Kull Memorial Golf Classic.
“I think education is important and I think that children are our future,” Guggenheim noted, “because at some point, we’re going to need them to turn into presidents, congressmen, business leaders and people adding value to us and being innovative.
“The better we can educate children, the better they can be prepared for their future.”
The 5K and Color Run event is a key fundraising initiative for the EEF. To register, become a sponsor or join a school team, visit www.eveshameducationfoundation.org/5k-color-run/.
A rain date has not yet been scheduled.
The Evesham Education Foundation’s 5K – which includes a 1-mile walk – is a key fundraising initiative to support the nonprofit’s mission of enhancing educational opportunities in the community.
The annual event will start bright and early at Helen Beeler Elementary School on Saturday, Sept. 26.
