Pride run colors the streets of Moses Lake
Over 100 participants came out for the New Hope/Kid’s Hope Pride Color Run in Moses Lake on Saturday, for the two mile course down the streets.
Ian Bivona/Columbia Basin Herald
Color stations were posted along the route, with colored powder thrown onto the runner’s shirts.
The run began with confetti at the start point, and the runners were off.
MOSES LAKE — Two miles of Moses Lake streets were colored with the shades of the rainbow on Saturday, with more than 100 participants showing for the Pride Color Run hosted by New Hope/Kids Hope.
“It went really well,” Kids Hope Administrative Specialist Celina Garcia ecstatically said.
The free-to-the-public run began at 10:15 a.m. in the parking lot next to Surf n’ Slide Water Park, with runners dressed in white and accenting Pride-themed accessories. After a confetti cannon rang out, the runners were off down Fifth Avenue.
The route took runners down Fifth to Division Street before looping back to the start point. Along the route were color stations decked with Pride-themed decor, bubbles and more. Volunteers and sponsors threw the colored powder as runners passed by. By the end of the route, runners had their white shirts colored anew with yellow, pink, orange, blue, red, green, purple and more.
“We're just really happy that we went out and had something,” Garcia said.
Color stations were sponsored by local companies, with each table being sponsored by a different company or organization. The Cindy Carter Campaign, New Hope, US Bank, Renew, Bella Vita Coffee Co., Big Bend Community College, Karma Body Art Studio, Hope Source and Kid’s Hope all sponsored different tables along the route. There was also a police and fire department presence at different locations throughout the course.
Garcia said that the first-place finisher completed the two-mile course in about 15 minutes. The finish line was a rainbow-colored balloon arch with pro-Pride sayings marked in chalk on the ground.
The total turnout for the New Hope/Kid’s Hope Pride run was 113 people, a number that Garcia said the organizers weren’t expecting but was good to see.
“It was nice to see all ages,” Garcia said. “It was little kids, teenagers, grownups. It was really cool to see everyone come together and just support one another, you know, just have fun.”
Following the run, participants gathered for a celebration of Pride with dancing, giveaways and other activities.
“We just were celebrating,” Garcia said. “We gave out drinks and snacks, it was fun.”
The overall feedback from the participants was positive, Garcia said.
“They all were just super happy that Moses Lake was actually doing something for pride,” Garcia said. “They were just so ecstatic and so happy that we were there showing support for their community and our community.”
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.
