Garstang is to host its first ever Colour Dash fun run this April, raising money for St John’s Hospice. Hundreds of competitors are expected to turn out for the 5km event, with hundreds more lining the streets in support on Sunday April 22.
The fun run, which involves entrants being pelted with brightly coloured powder at intervals along the route, is one of a series of Colour Dash events staged by St John’s each year. They help to raise many thousands of pounds for the Lancaster based facility, which provides palliative care to people with life limiting conditions in the surrounding area, from Kendal in the North to Garstang in the South.
The race will start from Cherestanc Square outside Booths, opposite the new Garstang office of headline sponsor Vincents Solicitors which has been instrumental in bringing the event to Garstang.
Runners and walkers will follow a route along the High Street, through Hudson Park and north along the River Wyre. Crossing the river, they will zig zag around Greenhalgh Castle before coming back across the river and heading back towards the starting point.
Four colour stations en route will ensure everyone has a big bright finish, whatever their time. These colour stations are being sponsored by the Garstang Country Hotel and Golf Centre, Display Wizard, Towers + Gornall and Nationwide Building Society.
Jo Humphrey, fundraising manager for St Johns, said: “We are so excited to be holding a Colour Dash in Garstang and I am thrilled that there is already so much anticipation from the people in the town, particularly the team at Vincents who were so determined to bring the event here, knowing how supportive the local community is for a good cause.
“We try to make fundraising as much about the fun as raising money, and the Colour Dash always brings a smile to people’s faces. Previous events in Kendal and Morecambe have proved to be hugely popular and have raised over £200,000 for the hospice since 2014, helping our medical teams to provide the excellent support for our patients and their families, both in the hospice and, crucially, in their own homes.”
Lisa Lodge, head of the Vincents Garstang branch, helped make arrangements for the route and will be working with local businesses and schools to encourage teams, families and individuals to enter.
She said: “St John’s Hospice is an incredible organisation, close to the hearts of many people in Garstang. Vincents has supported the charity over the years but we were keen to do more, and thought it would be great to bring the community together for a major fundraiser in the town.
“We will of course be entering a team of our own, and staff are already volunteering to help man the colour stations and act as stewards along the route. We’ll be inviting our clients to come along and get involved, and we’ve already had a great response from everyone we’ve told. It promises to be a great day and hopefully will provide some much needed funds to help a vital local service continue its good work.”
