If the turnout at the Great Bend Regional Hospital race pavilion Saturday morning is any indicator, color makes running more fun.  Excitement over being doused with paint brought out more than 500 participants for the first ever Color Run.  The event happened in conjunction with the third annual Human eMotion Charitable Run, Walk and Ride event sponsored by GBRH, with all proceeds going to support the Family Crisis Center in Great Bend.  
“It’s been tremendously popular,” said Pam Chambers, Administrator at GBRH. “The FBLA approached us earlier this year and asked if they could piggyback onto the Human eMotion event, and we were happy to help.”
Two members of Great Bend High School’s FBLA, Grant Harris and Greg Burley, were on hand to register participants for the Color Run Saturday morning.  
“Basically, we’re using this race as a fundraiser to help pay for travel expenses to get to the California convention center,” Harris said. “Pre registrations were 409, with quite a few more late registrants expected.”  According to sponsor Cody Lee, the goal was 300 participants, and the team is excited about the turnout this year.
At each kilometer of the 5K fun run, FBLA members man a paint station, and coat participants in different colors of paint as they pass.
“It’s a real upbeat, different kind of approach to running a 5K,” Burley said. (see video footage of a color station at gbtribune.com)
Great Bend businesses sponsored the five different colors (orangey-yellow, bright purple, blue, magenta and red) for the event.

Human eMotion
In addition to the Color Run, there was a 5 K, a 1/2 marathon and a 2 mile walk, plus 25 mile and 62 mile bike rides.  All proceeds from the $30 registration fees go to support the Family Crisis Center. The 1/2 and 5 K had cash prizes for top three male and female runners.  Bikers were joined by professional athletes Cameron Chambers, world class mountain biker, and Jackie Stiles, former WBNA Rookie of the Year. (for video footage of the start of the race, go to gbtibune.com/gbvideo/ )
“They aren’t racing for time, it’s just an enjoyable ride,” Chambers said. Bikers started at 7 a.m., competitive runners and walkers began at 7:30 a.m., and at 8:00 the color run started.  
“The Great Bend Regional Hospital has a collaborative relationship with FCC,” Chambers said. Through the ER, they see a lot of abuse and neglect come through,so they are in contact often.  “We see such a great need for their services in our community, so supporting them is something we want to do.”
According to Laura Patzner of the Family Crisis Center, “The race event is the hospital’s way of partnering with us and showing us that they are here to stand with us and support us.”
This has been an incredible collaboration, she said.  The FCC’s sexual assault nurse examiners are housed out of hospital.  They also help with the Child Advocacy Center and our Domestic and Sexual Violence Center.  
“They’ve always been there to really help and bolster what we do, and when we have a need,” she said.  “They’re are the first ones to ask how they can help us with that need.”