The Color Run

First of all, I apologize for the lack of updates over the past month or two. We're still here, and we're still brainstorming and working out ways to love on our families as hard as we can. That said, we've come upon an opportunity to show support for our families. It's called the Color Run.

The Color Run is a 5K (3.1 mile) race in which participants run in white t-shirts and get doused with colored dust along the route. Check it out:

One of our volunteers suggested that this would be a great "Break the Grey" event! Break the Grey = COLOR run! Get it?

Runners can sign up as individuals or in teams of 4+. Break the Grey is forming a team and running in honor of our kids and families.

So, how does running 3.1 miles just for fun and getting completely messy help support families facing childhood cancer or other life-altering illnesses? The idea behind it is solidarity.

Living with childhood cancer or other life-altering illnesses, enduring a treatment protocol, combating side effects, processing all of it mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and carrying on with daily life in the meantime has been compared to running a race. Having lived through it, I can say that it's really more like an Iron Man triathlon. By running a race, even if it is only 3.1 miles, we are attempting to say to our families with our actions: "We love you. We acknowledge that what you are enduring is hard. We see that it is grueling and that you are tired. And we are with you. We are beside you. We are here to support you and encourage you. We can't run your race for you, but we will do everything that we can to offset the burden and make it as hope-filled and joy-filled as we possibly can."

That's why I think the "color" part of the color run is so cool and so appropriate for what we are trying to do with Break the Grey. Even though running a race isn't necessarily fun or easy, we try to add splashes of color and encouragement and bring laughter and joy to the journey.

Here are the specifics:

There are color runs in several major US cities, including Louisville and Indianapolis. The cost is $40 for an individual before May 1 ($45-$50 after May 1) and $35 for a runner on a team before May 1 ($40-$45 after May 1). Like I said, we are forming a team. One of our volunteers, Esther Volmer, is organizing our team for the Louisville race.

The Louisville race will take place on July 29, and registration opens tomorrow: Tuesday, April 17 at noon. Registration for this race fills up super fast, so if you are planning on running, check out the link, search for our team, and register ASAP to secure your spot!  

Esther can't register for you, and putting your name on our team roster does not secure your spot! You need to register yourself in order to participate!

Click here to learn more about the Louisville race and to register. Click here to learn more about the Indianapolis race. To learn more about the Color Run in general, click here.

I hope you'll consider running with us. If you're not a runner, I hope this will cause you to think, to be aware, and to act on your knowledge. I hope it will cause you to remember our families and to pray for them as they run their race.

If you have any questions about the race or plan on running with us, drop us a line and say so!

Happy training! And, as always, thanks for your prayers and support!

Hoping, Believing, and Never Giving up,

Sarah