On a beautiful summer afternoon, what better way to spend the day than enjoying time with the whole family?
Wouldn’t it be even better if you were met with the cool relief of an incoming water balloon or ambushed with fresh squirts of a water gun?
Staff at Rose Garden Chapel in Barrhead are planning such an event, a 4.5 kilometre Make a Splash Family Fun Run to raise money for Barrhead’s new swimming pool.
Kelly Locke, funeral director at Rose Garden who is helping organize the event, said the run is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16 at 10 a.m.
The race starts and ends at the Barrhead Sports Grounds, and does a complete loop around the industrial park and through some residential areas.
The event is geared towards families who will use the future pool, and will be similar to the Colour Me Rad events that are becoming more popular each year.
Like the Colour Me Rad races, the race route will be filled with stations at each kilometre mark. However instead of coloured powder, participants will be bombarded with water.
“We had the idea where we would cater ours around the pool,” said Locke. “It’s more of a water event, so we’re hoping for good weather that day.”
At every station there will be some kind of water activity, whether it’s a water balloon fight, a slip ‘n slide, or fun with water guns. Locke said they are interested in getting the fire department involved too.
“We have talked to them already and there is some interest,” she said.
At the end of the race, Locke said there will be a block party around 12 noon. This might encourage others who didn’t participate in the race to come out and get involved.
The manager at Rose Garden Chapel has already agreed to donate the water for the event, said Locke. Ten Rose Garden staff members have volunteered to help out too, but the race will need a lot more people for things to run smoothly.
About 60 - 75 volunteers are required to help with set up, registration, manning the stations around the route, packet pick up, refreshments, fun stations, and tear down afterwards.
Every volunteer will receive a swag bag as a thank you, and free entry into the events.
Participants will pay an entry fee of $25 for adults and $20 for ages 12 and under to take part in the race, and have the option of raising pledges, though the pledges aren’t mandatory.
Barrhead students who are able to raise $100 will have a special opportunity to get their registration and swag bag free.
Locke said the organizers are looking for support from local businesses to cover the cost of holding the event. That way, she said, all the money from entry fees and pledges can go directly to the new aquatic centre.
“We are hoping to have donations from the business community,” said Locke. “That way anything, pledges and registration fees, goes towards the actual pool.”
Race registration and volunteer forms, as well as more event information can be found online at www.makeasplash-familyfunrun.ca.
Forms can be emailed to [email protected], or dropped off at Rose Garden Chapel to Kelly or Amanda. Payments can either be made in person, on the website, or by mail.
The event also has a Facebook page, which can be found by searching Make a Splash Family Fun Run.
