Colour me blue, red, yellow and green and it will all come out in the wash.
Sunday’s sixth annual Wildstone Colours4Kids event is again expected to draw record numbers of people in support of the OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre.
“Every year there have been more and more, it’s amazing we have raised more money to be able to do more for kids but the other part is that it’s such an accessible feel-good, family-centred event,” said executive director Manisha Willms of OSNS. “It’s colourful and it’s bright and it’s happy. A lot of our families, when they first have a (developmental) diagnosis, they’re struggling. That’s a dark place to be so to have this celebration of support for children is just such a nice balance for them.”
The centre offers a wide range of services to help kids with a variety of degrees of developmental difficulties.
She added raising money through events like this goes for treatment options over and above what government grants can be used for.
“So when we want to do something really innovative or buy an innovative piece of equipment that’s when we look to other fundraisers that don’t have those strings attached, doing something really cutting edge,” said Willms, who credited Wildstone’s involvement for the event’s ongoing success. “The corporate citizenship that they (Wildstone) show is just based in humility and we don’t always see that. It’s just so evident that Wildstone’s motivation is around supporting children.”
According to Julie Read, of Wildstone, it was that community aspect that motivated the company to dive in when they were first approached.
“It’s a great family-oriented event which was one of the reasons we really wanted to take it on,” said Read. “The event is a great thing that was born in Penticton and it’s nice to do something where Wildstone got its start.”
Initiated by Sinclaire Lovett in 2013, the year after her older sister Bronwyn died at age 18 from a mitochondrial disease, Wildstone took over when Sinclaire went to university two years ago.
Meg Dimma of OSNS who went with Read and Willms to a number of schools to promote the event earlier said there was one particularly important aspect they shared with the kids.
“Sinclaire started with an idea to do something in the community and that is really inspiring for all these young people, for them to know that one young girl, with one idea, has grown into something that has such an impact,” said Dimma.
Special guest at the run this year will be new Penticton resident and National Hockey League great Scott Niedermayer.
READ MORE: Wildstone Colours4Kids tops $17,000 mark
He will be signing autographs and personalizing five Anaheim Ducks jerseys that will be part of the silent auction. His No. 27 sweater was retired earlier this year in a special ceremony at the Honda Centre.
The run, five or 2.5 kilometres, is at the LocoLanding Adventure Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to all ages and there will be food and beverages and a bouncy castle by donation.
READ MORE: Families get colourful for a cause in Penticton
The $25 ($20 for pre-registration) cost includes a T-shirt, sunglasses and colour pack. It can be done online or in person at Wildstone or OSNS and pre-package pickup is Saturday in front of LocoLanding.
To register online go to www.wildstone.com/run/
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