Eisenhower Park Gets Covered in Color

The Color Vibe, a national fun run, made a stop at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow on July 28 and covered the park in colored powder.

Proceeds from The Color Vibe 5K were donated to Empowerment Collaborative of Long Island, a nonprofit human service agency based in Bohemia that provides crisis intervention, advocacy and support for those who have faced traumatic experiences.

The colorful powder, which is edible, biodegradable and nontoxic, is used as a tool to make the 5K fun and unique. As runners and walkers make their way through the 3.1-mile trail, colorful powder is thrown at them, turning their white running clothes tie-dye.

The run ends in a dance party, where a DJ plays dance music and even more color is thrown into the air and towards other participants.

“It was a lot of fun,” said participant Michelle Leon. “I really like that they had the powder stations where they were throwing powder at you as you’re going through the walk.”

Based in Utah, the Color Vibe staff has been traveling the U.S., holding the fun runs at different parks in states such as Ohio, California and Florida. An event coordinator with the company, Jared Pierson, enjoyed seeing the crowd at Eisenhower Park.

“We’ve been coming here [Eisenhower Park] for a number of years now,” Pierson said. “It’s just been great to see the community come out and support us. The crowd that was out here dancing at the after party was fantastic. It’s really fun when you have a good group of people here.”

The Color Vibe is the second largest color 5K in the United States. The largest color 5K is The Color Run, which puts on color 5Ks around the world and is the largest running series.

Color 5Ks began in 2011 when the Color Run was founded. Pierson believes that the colorful powder represents a celebration of life.

“It’s our way of celebrating life,” Pierson said. “People enjoy running and it’s a fun way to get people out and exercising.”

Colorful powder is similarly used in India during the Holi festival, which is also known as the festival of love. Holi lasts for a day and a night and is celebrated by throwing colorful powder into the air, enjoying a dinner and more. Holi is one of the most celebrated festivals in India and its popularity has spread Holi to other countries.

The Color Vibe does not promote competitions at their races, as no participant wins the race. “It’s a family friendly rave,” participant Serena Romaro said. “That’s the best way to describe it.”