Christopher Sanders
Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little — together we can do so much." Many people lived up to this quote while running together and being bathed in color at the United We Run 5K.
Running with their friends and families while being showered in colors made many participants feel like they were alive and running in the colored wind, motivated to run and make it to the finish line.
“We loved it and so did our dog," says participant Jennifer Kolb. "Running together was so fun."
Hosted by the Southlake Foundation, the United We Run 5K took place in Bicentennial Park on April 15, 2023, and was very enjoyable for everyone. With the event being held in April, the Southlake Foundation brought attention to Autism Awareness Month. The Southlake Foundation members honored the special Olympians, so they were the ones starting the run! This event was held to benefit our entire neighborhood to encourage family enjoyment, healthy movement and a sense of togetherness.
Speaking of togetherness, many different types of people ran along with their families. Parents were seen running with their pets by their side and their children in strollers, kids were seen running with their parents and supporting them and grandparents were running as well.
“It was super fun," 8-year-old Benjamin Beterfeild says. "People kept throwing colors at me, and I liked that a lot."
At the starting line, runners wore a white T-shirt given to them at the registration desk. By the time they got to the finish line, their T-shirts were drenched in color. All the proceeds collected at the run were donated to the Carroll Education Foundation to support the amazing schools and teachers of Carroll ISD. Not only did this event benefit the community, but it also benefited your child’s education.
Following the Fun Color Walk and Run, there were food trucks, music and a collective color throw to prolong the party! The public was welcome to attend this free event to support the participants and enjoy the food, music and color throwing. After the celebration, many people danced the rest of the afternoon to some fantastic music by a live DJ and Dhol. Southlake Foundation volunteers took great initiative after the event to clean up all the areas of the park.
The foundation’s goal was to bring the community together and make sure the people had fun along with a clean city after a great event. This was a great initiative to bring the community together.
Suhavi Bakshi is 14 years old and attends Dawson Middle School. She enjoys writing and hopes to continue to write for many magazines and websites one day.