Back for the third year in a row, Bears on a Color Run is returning on Sunday, October 14th, on the LZHS campus. Beginning at 10:00 AM, this year’s event “will be about a mile, and will [feature] five stations where colorful powders will be thrown at you,” according to Erica Chianelli, Executive Director of School District 95 Educational Foundation.

“The purpose of it is to just get as messy as possible, so you basically go out and just try to get as full of color as possible, [and then in the end], you get to take fun pictures with your friends and family and even your teachers if you want,” Chianelli said.

Like prior years, this “family fun event”, according to Chianelli, will help collect money to develop the district. Fundraising from this event will go directly into supporting under-resourced students, STEAM programs, teacher initiative grants, internships and more.

In these aspects and in the run itself, this year’s event will be very similar to the past two years, says Chianelli, but there will be some minor changes.

“It’s on homecoming weekend [this year], because we are trying to draw more alumni this year, since the district is really trying to focus on [developing] the alumni database,” Chianelli said.

In addition to a difference in time, Chianelli also says that there will be “a bragging rights trophy to encourage a school competition, so the school with the highest percent of participation will get this bragging rights trophy that will travel year from year to whichever school wins.”

Although signups have already ended, that does not mean students and faculty cannot go out to volunteer for the event, or to cheer on their friends. In fact, Chianelli encourages all to head on over to check it out, and hopefully sign up next year.

“[It’s rare] to encounter an event where the purpose of it is to get as messy as possible, and that’s a lot of fun, so even if you’re a spectator, it will be fun to come, watch, laugh and see how crazy and messy people can get.”