New College Tradition: Color Run!
By Kynder Ganoe
The Diversity and Inclusion Office at the College of Coastal Georgia hosted a Color Run on Friday, the first of what is to become a new annual tradition at the College. The Coastal Georgia Color Run was developed as a visual representation of the office’s mission to create programs that connect people from diverse backgrounds and communities.
This event had been in the works since summer. The idea for the run color was generated by students. In addition to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, teams from various College departments such as Plant Ops, Mariner Recreation, the Cross-Country Team, Residence Life and Housing, and the Physical Education Department worked hand-in-hand to make the Color Run a success.
Bekah Wood, a Coastal Georgia student and president of the Cross-Country Club, helped spread the word for the race while also bringing attention to their newly-established club. The Cross-Country Club gathered members prior to the race to clean up debris on the trails caused by Hurricane Irma. On race day, students were there in high spirits starting off with a pre-race warm up stretch led by Health and Wellness Professor Teresa Peeples. Participants were lined up at the start line for the initial big color throw prior to the start of the run, sparking excitement among the runners.
About fifty participants trotted along the course tossing colored powder on their fellow runners. The one-and-a-half-mile race covered terrain from the back woods of the Brunswick campus to the Coastal Georgia Fitness Trail, making it a relatively easy race that would bring together people of many different fitness levels.
“I think at the end of the day, everyone had a great time and it was something new and exciting to bring to the College and something we hope to continue,” said Brittany Garcia, Coordinator of Student Engagement & Intercultural Programs. “The team enjoyed planning the event and seeing the excitement of the participants when they crossed the finish line.”
The Color Run will be joining another annual running event at the College, the Turkey Trot. Having originally begun in the 1970s, the Turkey Trot has evolved into an autumn run to which students happily look forward. The upcoming 42nd Annual Turkey Trot, also a one-and-a-half-mile race, will be held in November. An official date will be released soon.