Color Run caps off school year

VERNON — Music pumped from the speakers, filling the football stadium at Vernon Township High School (VTHS), as frisbees flew, balls bounced and bubbles collided up to the sky in a prelude to the first annual Color Run, ending the academic year in an explosion of blues, greens and oranges.
“Students and teachers do a one-mile run, or walk around the campus and get pelted with a variety of harmless colorful powder at stations set up around the fields,” Kathy Weyant, teacher and advisor of the National Honor Society (NHS), coordinator of the event explained.
The Color Run, aka, the happiest 5k on the planet, takes place worldwide, boasting 6 million runners in 35 countries.
VTHS borrowed the concept, and put a local spin on it. They tweaked it down to a one mile trek and collected more than $100 in donations for a young student in Glen Meadow facing serious medical challenges — reminding the students of the importance of giving back and to support one another.
John Loggie, junior and senior history teacher, who was that lone bagpiper leading the graduates on the senior march at graduation last week said, “This is the first time we’re doing this, and the first time as a small fundraiser.”
It’s been a long school year for VTHS, who had to extend their calendar to June 28 due to snow days and a fire mid-year.
“Even though they’ve been here so long, the kids have been phenomenal,” Kerry Ludekin, physical education and health teacher said “No complaints, well, not too many,” she jokes. "But really, we're so proud of them."
Senior Emily Brown was one of the near 50 students participating in the run. This, she knows, is her last event at the school.
“Even though I’m looking forward to summer vacation and I’m glad to be done, I’m gonna miss it here,” she said.