Oliver Parks and Recreation is proud to say that the first ever Paint Dash for the town of Oliver was a great success! The event that took place on June 16th went off without a hitch. Participants took part in a 5KM fun colour run at the Oliver Community Park, followed by a barbecue and after party. Runners were sprayed with colour powder at different stations on the route with the goal to finish the run splashed in colour.

Participants received sunglasses, a hamburger, and a drink as part of their registration fee. The first 100 participants also received a single shot of colour powder to throw on themselves. The Okanagan Boys and Girls club volunteered to run the barbecue during the event, and all proceeds from extra sales went to their organization.

This was a great opportunity to get families out enjoying nature and being active at the same time. We had a really great vibe from participants, everyone was exited to take part in the event and the energy level was very high. There has been a lot of positive feedback from the community and we are hoping to keep this event going next year!

This year we did have to cap registration off at 125 participants. There were 73 adult tickets sold and 52 youth. Since this was the first time organizing an event like this, we really did not know how much colour powder per participant it would take to make sure everyone was thoroughly doused. Many people were waitlisted for the event, and we are hoping they get the chance to take part next year. We are looking forward to expanding the event and making it bigger!

ODN published extensive pictorial coverage on the day of the event. Looking forward to next year.