Color Run Saturday celebrates Great Fish Community Challenge
Sofia Beers and Hannah Amick are hit with colored powder in the Great Fish Color Run on Saturday in Whitefish. The 5k run was a benefit for the Whitefish Community Foundation's Great Fish Challenge.
The Great Fish Community Challenge culminates Saturday, Sept. 9 in the Great Fish 5K Color Run/Walk and Nonprofit Fair at Depot Park.
Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. at Depot Park. The public is invited to tour the 45 interactive booths hosted by the nonprofits in the Great Fish Challenge and enjoy great entertainment, music, food vendors and chances to win additional bonus dollars for charities.
There are two categories for giving for the challenge: donor designated and Friends of the Match. Donors make a single designated gift, allocated between specific nonprofits they wish to support. Friends of the Match provide undesignated funding that is used to fund the partial match on the designed gifts, substantially increasing the impact of each participating organization’s fundraising efforts during the giving period.
To date the nonprofits have raised over $800,000. The Great Fish Community Challenge campaign giving period officially ends on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. Donor designated gifts must be received by Sept. 15 to be eligible for matching.
Donors making a donation at the Sept. 9 celebration will be entered into the fish bowl drawing to earn an additional gift on top of their donation of $25, $50, or even $100. Over $2,000 in incentive grants will be awarded at the Color Run/Walk.
To register for the Great Fish 5K Color Run/Walk visit www.greatfishchallenge.org. Preregister for the recreational or competitive run for $10 and receive a commemorative T-shirt while supplies last.
Registered runners can pick-up race packets at The Wave on Sept. 8 from 2:30 to 6 p.m. or register for the Color Run. Same day registration is $15 for recreational and $20 for the 5K competitive division. Overall winners in the 5K competitive division will win a $100 grant for the participating nonprofit that they are representing. Kids 12 and under are free. Race starts at 10 a.m. It is a color run and costumes are encouraged.
Sign up to run for a nonprofit and it will help them earn points toward additional bonus dollars. All walkers and runners will be entered for a chance to win fun prizes in the raffle. A free breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by a community barbecue at 11 a.m. will be served.
Kids and adults can participate in “Find the Fish” and get entered for more bonus grants while youngsters will have fun in the Tot Trot at 11:30 a.m. and the Striders Race at 11:45 a.m. Registration opens at 10 a.m. for the Tot Trot and Strider Riders and are free of charge. All little trotters and striders receive a commemorative T-shirt while supplies last.
New to this year’s challenge is the Jingle Competition. Beginning at noon, the nonprofit finalists will perform their jingles. The three top jingles will be announced at the event by the panel of judges and there will be a chance to vote online for the favorite jingle. The winner of this competition will be awarded a $1,000 grant at the Great Fish Awards event Oct. 12 at Casey’s.
For more information, on the Great Fish or to make a donation visit greatfishchallenge.org or call 406-863-1781.
The Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to fostering philanthropy, building endowments and helping donors and nonprofits benefit our community