Saturday morning’s Tropicolor World Tour 2016 Color Run 5-kilometer race benefits Akron Children’s Hospital

June 12, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

It’s been said that a pot of gold can be found at the end of a rainbow.

No gold nuggets awaited Paula Barrett when she crossed the finish line in a benefit race, however, but she took home many other rewards.

“I did the whole race. It was just a fun thing to do,” said the 73-year-old Poland woman, who finished her run decked out in extra red, orange, yellow, green and blue cornstarch powder that had been tossed on her T-shirt as she ran.

Barrett was referring to having been among the estimated 3,000 people of all ages who took part in Saturday morning’s Tropicolor World Tour 2016 Color Run 5K race, which began at the Covelli Centre near downtown.

Proceeds from the race, which took runners through much of downtown as well as along the Market Street Bridge and back to the Covelli Centre, are to benefit Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, noted JoAnn Stock, ACH’s senior director of development.

The race brought in between $10,000 and $12,000 each of the last three years, Stock explained, adding that this year’s goal is $30,000. The funds will go toward the hospital’s programs and wellness services, she continued.

Before running and ending up with more color than she probably had anticipated, Barrett had spent about three months preparing for her first race.

“I ran in my basement – that’s where I trained,” said Barrett, a former teacher who volunteers on behalf of ACH and in other capacities.

Akron Children’s is close to Barrett’s heart also because her son-in-law, Dr. Michael Bigham of Hudson, is a pediatric intensive-care physician at the Akron facility.

“It’s easy to get excited about the health and well-being of kids,” said Dr. Bigham, who came with his daughter, Chloe, 8, and 11-year-old son, Barrett. “We have a laser focus on getting kids well.”

Dr. Bigham acknowledged he isn’t much of a runner, but soon realized he could not turn down the offer of being in Saturday’s race – especially after his mother-in-law kindly insisted.

“She asked us to do this, and we said, ‘Absolutely,’” the physician said.

Along the route, several so-called “color stations” were set up, including one near the Mahoning Avenue Bridge downtown. Volunteers, including Delmas Stubbs of Campbell, tossed cornstarch on participants who ran by, helping to create a small yellow cloud – and elicit lots of cheers.

Also crossing the finish line covered in the material was 12-year-old Lauren Canter, a Poland Middle School seventh-grader who had taken part in last year’s Color Run.

“It’s really fun to get colorful and messy,” she said with a chuckle.

Running is not new to Lauren, who came with members of the Eich family of Poland, who are friends. She also has under her belt having been in the Memorial Mile Run and Zombie Crawl, a Halloween event, she noted.

The Color Run organization has 220 races scheduled for this year in the U.S., along with nearly 200 more in 40 countries worldwide, noted Jackie Adams, a member of the organization’s sponsorship team.

A portion of profits from each event goes to a local charity; in this case, Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley was the beneficiary, she explained.

“We began in 2012, and ever since then, we’ve tried to make the world a happier and healthier place,” Adams said. “We’re super happy to be here in Youngstown.”

Stock thanked the estimated 230 volunteers, including those from Kohl’s and Walmart, for their assistance in setting up and with many other tasks. She also said that the race was instrumental in keeping the focus on one of ACH’s core missions.

“One of our founding promises is that no child is ever turned away,” she added. “This helps up keep that promise.”