Politics & Government

Color Run Coming to Downtown Wheaton This Spring

After the dull and bitter cold of winter, Wheaton will comes alive with color this spring.

This April, the Wheaton Park District and the Rotary Club of Central DuPage will bring even more color to the city by hosting the city’s first ever 5k color run experience. 

The Wheaton Fun Run in Color 5k, which takes place on April 5 at 8 am, is a vibrant and active way to ring in spring with the whole family.

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Dan Novak, Superintendent of Special Facilities at the Park District, was one of the catalysts for bringing a color run experience to Wheaton. Several years ago, he did one with his family in Chicago. 

“The best thing about it,” he says, “is that is was a gathering for friends and family to be active and have a blast. And that’s the environment we as a planning team are trying to capture with Wheaton’s Fun Run.”

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So what exactly does this run entail? 

Participants are encouraged to wear white or light colors to maximize the color potential. During the race course through Wheaton neighborhoods and Northside Park, they will pass through several “color stations,” which will consist of volunteers who will shower the runners with vibrant hues. 

The color is food-grade quality cornstarch that is bio-degradable, non-toxic, and 100% safe. By the end of the race, participants will be walking kaleidoscopes!

“We don’t want people to be intimidated about the ‘run’ part of this event,” says Dan Novak. “This event is geared toward fun. So while a participant can be a serious runner, they can also walk the course as individual, family, or team.” 

Kids are especially encouraged to participate, and costumes are more than welcome as a way to express creativity. An after party will follow the race, with DJ entertainment, giveaways, and the final color throw.

Proceeds from the he Fun Run 2014 in Color benefit local Rotary-supported charities and two Wheaton Park District foundations: The DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation and Cosley Zoo Foundation. 

Sponsors for this event include Edward Jones, Whitlock and Associates, ServPro, Huck Bouma, DuPage Medical Group, Bauer Orthodontics, First Trust, Wheaton Eye Clinic, Powell and Boyle, Squeegee Brothers, and Cantigny.

Registration for the race is $20 for teams/groups (when 4 or more individuals register together) and $25 for individuals. Children ages 5 and under are free. Participants receive a t-shirt as part of their registration (registered children do not receive a shirt). 

Race registration is expected to fill, so pre-registration is highly recommended. For more information, visit wheatonparkdistrict.com/funrun or contact Stephanie Taylor, race director, at staylor@wheatonparks.org or 630.510.4989.

Source: Wheaton Park District press release 


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