By Shauna Isted

A group prepares for the Paint Dash by powdering up. (Photo by Lyonel Doherty)

Oliver Parks and Recreation is proud to say that the first ever Paint Dash for the town of Oliver was a great success!

The event that took place on June 16 went off without a hitch. Participants took part in a 5km fun colour run at Oliver Community Park, followed by a barbecue and after-party. Runners were sprayed with colour powder at different stations on the route with the goal to finish the run splashed in colour.

Participants received sunglasses, a hamburger, and a drink as part of their registration fee. The first 100 participants also received a single shot of colour powder to throw on themselves.

The Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs volunteered to run the barbecue during the event, and all proceeds from extra sales went to their organization.

This was a great opportunity to get families out enjoying nature and being active at the same time. We had a really great vibe from participants, everyone was exited to take part in the event and the energy level was very high. There has been a lot of positive feedback from the community and we are hoping to keep this event going next year.

This year we did have to cap registration off at 125 participants. There were 73 adult tickets sold and 52 youth. Since this was the first time organizing an event like this, we really did not know how much colour powder per participant it would take to make sure everyone was thoroughly doused. Many people were on a wait list for the event, and we are hoping they get the chance to take part next year. We are looking forward to expanding the event and making it bigger!

We also could not have done it without the help from our amazing volunteers and the support of our wonderful sponsors – Alberto’s Decorating Centre for sponsoring the sunglasses and helping kick off the race; Baldy Mountain Resort for sponsoring our after-party with DJ Shakes; Munday Media & Design for providing the posters; and Buy-Low Foods for donating the beverages at the concession.

(Shauna Isted is recreation assistant for Oliver Parks and Recreation.)