Colorful event to make path for scholarships
BEEBE — Members of the Kiwanis Club of Beebe are excited to host the Painted Path Fun Run 5K in Beebe for the third consecutive year.
The club is a local nonprofit group dedicated to serving children and giving back to the community.
Leslie Richardson, former club president, said Kiwanis Club members are always looking for ways to serve the needs of children through fundraising and local service projects.
“We are passionate about helping kids succeed and are really involved in local fundraising efforts that make a difference, one child at a time,” Richardson said.
The run will take place Saturday, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. at American Legion Post 91, 115 W. Illinois St. in Beebe.
The run will start at 9 a.m. in downtown Beebe and make a path through the Arkansas State University-Beebe campus.
Runner registration is $30 per person, and $20 for children ages 10 and younger who participate in the Kids Block Walk.
“For those not interested in the entire 5K, we do have a block walk, and all children are provided with a completion medal,” Richardson said.
Runner registration includes a race-day T-shirt, a post-run snack, water and a lot of color.
“We will color the runners with a special powder made up mostly of colored cornstarch. Our event sponsors and Key Club volunteers are set up along the route to spray runners with color as they complete certain milestones along the path,” Richardson said.
Runners are asked to come
dressed in white and bring towels.
All proceeds from the run will benefit the Kiwanis of Beebe Scholarship Fund.
“The Kiwanis Club of Beebe Scholarship Fund expands educational opportunities by providing scholarships to our local youth through our fundraising efforts,” Richardson said. “The Painted Path Color Run is our biggest contributor to that scholarship fund, and our recipients are chosen based on academic achievements, hours spent volunteering and their desire to make a difference in our community.”
Lauren Shook, current president of the Kiwanis Club of Beebe, said she loves knowing she is making a difference for the children in her community.
“I also love working with other members of the community with common interests and common goals who want to volunteer their time to something that matters,” Shook said.
Shook has been the club’s president since October 2016.
She leads club meetings, organizes and plans the club’s fundraising events and works to increase club membership.
“My major goal for this year is to increase club membership by raising awareness. If we can increase membership, we can make a bigger impact on the community and, therefore, reach more children,” Shook said.
The Kiwanis Club of Beebe hosts several fundraising events each year, including Pancakes With Santa, the Kiwanis Chili Supper and the Painted Path Fun Run.
“This past Christmas, we put a new spin on one of our classic fundraisers. In the past, we have had a Pancake Supper fundraiser. This year, we decided to take a more kid-centered approach, and we did a Breakfast With Santa fundraiser,” Shook said.
“It was a huge success, and we were able to serve and enjoy hundreds of smiling kids on that day. This will be a new tradition that we are looking forward to for many years to come,” she said.
“These events have allowed us to donate to various organizations in the community, such as the Beebe Badger food pantry, the Beebe Angel Tree Program, the Badger Bookmobile and the Key Club,” Richardson said.
“Most recently, we worked with the city of Beebe to install a swing in one of our parks for children with special needs,” Richardson added.
The Kiwanis Club of Beebe has also been involved in the Beebe Community Health Fair.
Last year, the Painted Path Fun Run raised enough money to provide five high school seniors with scholarships and send local Key Club members to a leadership convention.
Key Club, a Kiwanis International program, is a leadership organization for teens that teaches leadership
through service to others.
The Painted Path Fun Run is funded by local sponsors.
Color Sponsors will have booths set up along the race route and throw color on participants as they pass by.
Pets on leashes are welcome to attend the run.
“We do not time runners because we want this to be a fun event that doesn’t feel too rushed or like a competition,” Richardson said.
The race will end with a color party.
“At the end of the race, we all come together with fun music, great conversation and tons of energy to throw color and end the race with a celebration,” Shook said.
“Our results have been outstanding in the past, and we are looking forward to the same result this year,” Richardson said.
To register for the Painted Path Fun Run online, visit planetreg.com/ paintedpathfunrun2017.