Cloudview Farms to host fundraising fun run
Cloudview Farms in Ephrata is hosting a fundraising event on September 17, with runners participating in a fun run throughout the farm’s property. The hope for the event is that it improves the community’s understanding of farming and food production along with other educational aspects.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/CLOUDVIEW FARMS
EPHRATA — Cloudview Farms in Ephrata will be hosting a fun run on Sept. 17, serving as a fundraiser for the non-profit farm’s community and educational programs.
“What we’ve been looking for is just fun ways to bring people to the farm and for fun events, and then to fundraise as well,” Cloudview Farms Education and Community Coordinator Julie Johnston said.
This is the first year that Cloudview Farms will be hosting this event, and the money will go toward programs that help people learn about food literacy, farming and more.
“We are a non-profit, education farm,” Johnston said. “We have a couple programs like our Educate and Empower programs, and the money goes into supporting the programs and sometimes providing scholarships for the kids to come to Farm Camp. Then, we also have our Feed our Friends program, and we give to the food banks – the Ephrata and Soap Lake food banks.”
Johnston said that the fun run had garnered interest on Facebook, with commenters tagging their friends and spreading the word. However, they are still searching for sign-ups.
“My hope is that people are like me, and they wait until the last minute,” Johnston said.
The course runs through Cloudview Farms on a dirt road, giving runners the opportunity to run off of a standard course. The course is one mile long, but more competitive runners will be allowed to run the course up to three times, according to Johnston.
“We have a mile wrapped out around the farm, and it’s all rough terrain because it’s the dirt roads and around the field and stuff like that,” Johnston said. “So, it’s not paved or a flat surface, but it’s walkable and runnable. There’s no big holes or anything like that, so it's what would be considered a trail run.”
While the run itself is non-competitive and untimed, there are other opportunities for runners to walk away with a prize.
“The bib numbers, (the runners) can take them over to Cloudview Kitchen in Soap Lake after the race or the next day and be entered into a raffle for some prizes,” Johnston said.
Massages, food from Cloudview Kitchen and gift certificates to local businesses will be included among the prizes.
During the run, Johnston invited participants to come dressed in farm-themed costumes to “have fun” with the run.
“We are doing a costume theme, so if people want to come dressed as their favorite farm animal, their favorite fruit or vegetable or a farmer, whatever they want,” Johnston said. “Even just wear a John Deere t-shirt or something; however, they want to represent their favorite farm thing.”
Along with the run, Cloudview Farms will also have a donation drive for both food and book donations to go to the Ephrata and Soap Lake Food Banks and the Family Services of Grant County, respectively.
“If they want to bring some canned goods or non-perishable items for the food bank, and any sort of books,” Johnston said. “We’ve partnered up with Family Services of Grant County and their Headstart Program.”
Registration pricing is based on the age of the runner. More information about the run can be found at https://bit.ly/3Rokf8R.
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com and more of his work is available on the Columbia Basin Herald app, available on iOS and Android devices.