There’s no better reason to be sweaty and covered in colorful chalk while running through Fairview Park than to advocate for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
On April 27, the members of Alpha Chi Omega hosted their annual color run for the third year in support of their philanthropy organization, Growing Strong.
“I’ve recently been initiated into Alpha Chi Omega, and I chose Alpha Chi because their philanthropy is really important to me as a woman and just to be in a group of individuals who are lifting each other up,” Anna Gross, a race participant, said. “I decided to sign up to continue my support for our philanthropy and my sorority.”
Growing Strong is a sexual assault crisis center offering services for counseling, support groups, medical and legal advocacy, case management, prevention education, and professional training. The proceeds from the race went to help fund these programs.
“That’s the twofold good thing about being in sororities because all the money goes to support something, but while you’re doing all the events, you get to make great memories with people,” Amanda Spotts, a race participant, said.
The run was a 5K (3.1 miles), and throughout the race, runners would have powdered chalk thrown at them. The teal and purple chalk colors in the race were symbolic of sexual and domestic violence awareness. Those stationed at the chalk stops were ready to cover friends, family, community members, and fellow students in a vibrant haze.
“I loved seeing people run or walk by and how happy they were,” Reed Pierson, a chalk thrower, said. “I do think if I knew them, I would throw more chalk on them because it was fun.”
Those who didn’t want chalk dusted all over them could put an “X” on their hand to avoid the color. If there was no marking to indicate no chalk, the runners were fair game for the throwers to douse in an amount of chalk of their choosing. In other words, the participants were at the mercy and discretion of the throwers, with the only rule being to avoid the face.
“Since it’s all our classmates who were throwing it, you can kind of pinpoint who’s going to dump a whole bucket on you versus who’s just going to sprinkle it,” Spotts said. “I got targeted a little bit, but it makes it more fun.”
Even though the concept of a run is simple, there is a fair amount of planning that has to go into it. Abi Robison, Vice President of Philanthropy for the sorority, took charge in preparing for the event. She began the process during winter break and was relieved to see it come to fruition.
“It started with comparing calendars for various school events to find a weekend that worked,” Robison said. “Then I had to book the park, and I had to fill out all kinds of insurance forms, and then I had to make sure we had the t-shirts and the chalk.”
Race finishers crossed the finish line in various shades of teal and purple. After receiving their time, they trekked over to the pavilion to claim their Krispy Kreme donut reward and a bottle of water. With the combination of sunny skies and glazed donuts, the energy of participants was high.
“My biggest worry as we got closer was that it was going to rain today, and thankfully it didn’t,” Robison said.
The first-place finisher was a Millikin sibling who was there to spend the weekend with his sister. Dylan Pacheco completed the race in only 20 minutes and 53 seconds. Despite Pacheco’s speedy time, participants were encouraged to run at their own pace.
“I think running with Amanda was my favorite part,” Gross said. “We’ve been best friends for the entire year. We met last semester, so getting to start and cross the finish line surrounded by all of our friends was really fun.”
For more ways to get involved with Alpha Chi Omega’s efforts to support Growing Strong, wear denim on April 30 to show support for survivors of sexual assault. They will also host a bigger fundraiser in the fall.
