Dannevirke's South School adds colour to fun run

Dry coloured powder on wet tee shirts begin to make their mark.

First you get the kids to start running the circuit. Then you spray them with water from a hose, then add coloured powder paint from a puffer and in no time you have several hundred runners completing multiple circuits just to add more colour to their clothing.

Dannevirke's wastewater must have turned a variety of colours on Friday evening, November 20 and over the weekend as South School parents washed the clothes and their children after the school's sponsored colour fun run.

It was the initiative of the school's parents' association called SOS – Support our Students – which had seen this work successfully elsewhere and decided it was a better alternative fundraiser than the traditional gala.

A company NZ Fun Run provides the organisation, paint and prizes for the operation. Children were encouraged to be sponsored online and half the proceeds go to the school, the rest going to prizes and the company itself.

South School raised $23,000 in sponsorship, earning it $11,600 which compares well with the normal South School Gala proceeds but with a lot less work. All the children receive a prize if they raise over $10 and those raising the most had a choice of prizes like a BMX bike or electric scooter. The top sponsorship was $878.

The children had to run 45 minutes around the circuit which incorporated the upper and lower fields and many completed a dozen circuits in the time. The weather was perfect, the kids had a great time and it was all wrapped up in two hours.

There was no danger, the paint was non-toxic and most came off the clothes the children were asked to wear. Even a few staff got involved and the youngest students had their own circuit up around the school.