When I was younger, my sisters and I played at our local Boys and Girls Club. I remember they had great programs an we always had a ton of fun. What I didn't know was how important they are to the community.
Today, most families have two working parents and many children are left home alone before/after school and during school breaks. The Boys and Girls Club gives kids a safe place to be during these hours. Their goals are to provide:
A safe place to learn and grow...
Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals...
Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences...
Hope and opportunity.
So when I was contacted by representatives of Color in Motion to participate in a 5k benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs, I was thrilled. I had been a part of The Boys and Girls Clubs many years ago and this was a chance for me to support them and have fun while doing it!
I have to admit I was a little hesitant to participate in a run because I am not exactly in great athletic shape. I just don't run. But seriously, how can you look at the these pictures and not want to do this? It looked like a BLAST! :)
The pictures won me over and I signed myself (and my hubby, and my toddler...and my infant!) up for our first CIM5k (well....to be more accurate it was a color walk for us) ;-)
Before I go into how awesome the race was, allow me to address my concerns. While I was happy as a clam to be doing this, I was slightly nervous about the paint and how it would affect my toddler and infant. So I went to the websites FAQ's and found my answer. The color is actually just cornstarch (the main ingredient in baby powder) and food grade dye. There were no scary chemicals to worry about. And the colors are washable (clothing, skin, strollers...it all came out!)
Then there was the question of the cost for kids. Would I really have to pay for my toddler and infant?!? Nope They got to enjoy the race with us absolutely free (any child under 5 is free).
Lastly- WHO IN THE WORLD DOES A 5K COLOR RACE WITH KIDS?!?
Answer: LOTS OF PEOPLE!
If this is something you've always wanted to do but thought it's not a "family friendly" event, you should reconsider! There were SO many people with their kids! And not just walking kiddos, but kids like ours- toddlers and infants in strollers, carriers, wagons...you name it they were there! We chose to use the stroller for our toddler and a front carrier for our infant.
Now that my concerns had all been addressed, it was ON TO THE RACE!!!
The day was PERFECT for being outdoors! When we arrived (we were an hour late ) the volunteers were great and handed each of us a color bag and t-shirt. Now I should mention that there are actually three start times, (so if you are late, you don't need to worry) but we were even too late for those. It wasn't a problem though. There were many other people who arrived after us (If you arrive later than the last start time, you just start solo versus with a large group).
We put on our official Color in Motion shirts (Don't forget to snap your "before" pictures if you're doing this) and started the race :)
As we walked there were so many friendly people sharing (a.k.a. tossing) their colors at other participants. And it was fun to see people dressing up! There were tutu's, colorful socks, 80's sweatbands...) Many people chose to wear sunglasses so they weren't worried about getting the color in their eyes.
As you race, there are several color "checkpoints" where volunteers douse you with colorful powder when you run (or walk) through. They were so courteous as we approached. They yelled "baby coming!" and kept the colors gently tossed at waist level. It was fun to get a little messy and my toddler seemed to enjoy it too! As we approached each color checkpoint I would say "Cannon- are you ready for the color __________?! Say _________" (I can't fight the former teacher in me. EVERYTHING is a learning opportunity!)
Did you notice in the second picture my hubby started carrying our son in the front carrier? We were keeping a brisk pace and it was quite a workout for me! So I took the stroller for a bit, but there were some sandy areas where it was REALLY tough to get through. An all-terrain stroller would have been best.
We continued walking the course until we arrived at the finish line where the after party was in full swing! There was a DJ, dancing, and colors being tossed in the air. It was such a fun environment, but we stayed clear of it (because the colors falling on the baby's head was not something we wanted to do). If you're planning on doing the race, don't expect to leave right away (well...you could, but there's still so much fun happening!). Other than the after party, there were food trucks, picture booths, and a lot of other color racers and vendors to talk to! It was a great way to finish the race :-)
I'm looking forward to the next time there is a Color in Motion race in our area. It was such a wonderful way to make family memories, not to mention it supported a great cause (Boys and Girl's Clubs of America).
If you are in the Indio area, there will be a CIM5k race coming VERY soon (as in February 15th, 2014 soon!) That's not a whole lot of time and tickets can sell out, so make sure you register today! And as a courtesy to my readers, CIM5k is offering you $5 off your registration by entering the code "munchkins" in the promo field! So grab a partner (and your kids!) and get ready for a GREAT time!
Disclaimer: In exchange for writing about my experience in the Color in Motion 5k, my family and I received complimentary tickets for this event. However, all opinions are my own.