By Jessica Tuggle
jtuggle@hometownnewsol.com
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY -- Thousands of runners are expected to bring a burst of color into the Pointe West community later this month, all in the name of senior citizen support.
On March 16, Vero Beach will join the ranks of other cities across the nation as they host a "Color Me Rad" 5k fundraising event, where the participants start off clean as a whistle and end up with more dustings of color than a rainbow.
Already more than 2,500 participants have registered and the total number of registrants is expected to be close to 5,000, said Christie Johnson, spokeswoman for the Senior Resource Association.
The fundraiser will benefit the Senior Resource Association of Indian River County, which is a nonprofit organization that provides services to the elderly in the community. Among its programs are adult daycare facilities, transportation and Meals on Wheels.
"This will be the biggest race in Indian River County," Ms. Johnson said.
The "race" will be untimed and the focus will be on the fun and fitness aspects of the event, and the fun takes the form of about 5,000 pounds of colored cornstarch sprayed in the air and toward participants.
Online pre-registration is required, and the cost per entrant is $45. To give a percentage of the registration fee to the Senior Resource Association and to receive a 10 percent discount on the race, individuals can use the promotion code "SRA2013," a press release said.
Each participant receives a swag bag with a Color Me Rad T-shirt, sunglasses, a temporary tattoo and other promotional items from sponsors.
The 5k is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and 1,000 people will be allowed to begin every five minutes.
"Like your fifth birthday party, we want this event to be memorable, fun and colorful," said race organizer Scott Crandall in a press release.
"We have worked with great charities across the country, and there is nothing more rad than knowing all of this mayhem is also for a good cause," he said.
That same evening, also at Pointe West, the Indian River County Recreation Department and the community will host their final "Screen on the Green" event. The movie "HOP" will be shown at sunset in Heritage Park on an outdoor screen.
Admission is free and families are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs to enjoy the outdoor film experience.
For more information, contact Ms. Johnson at (772) 469-3147, or visit www.seniorresourceassociation.org or www.colormerad.com.