Colorful run/walk to raise money for local organizations

Spring is here, and what better way to celebrate its arrival than with some outdoor entertainment and exercise? Cape Girardeau will provide the opportunity Saturday, when Color Me Cape bedashes downtown.

A 5k run, Color Me Cape will start and end at Bel Air Grill, 24 S. Spanish St. The course will go as far south as Morgan Oak Street and as far north as Washington Avenue -- passing landmarks such as Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, Discovery Playhouse and the River Heritage Museum. Runners will depart in flights leaving at 2, 2:30, 3 and 3:30 p.m.

What makes this run different, however, are the five color stations along the course. A crew at each color station will douse runners and walkers with a bright colored powder -- tinted cornstarch -- so by the end of the run, a participant will appear to be a tie-dyed rainbow on legs.

"It's about fun, fitness and happiness -- and camaraderie. And we're supporting some important causes," Dan Fritsche, one of the event organizers said, adding Safehouse for Women, Discovery Playhouse and the Howard Aslinger Foundation are among not-for-profit organizations that will receive a share of the proceeds from the race.

Staffing the color stations are volunteers from Relay For Life of Saint Francis Medical Center, the Scott City Women's Club, the Cape Girardeau Central High School senior class, Kappa Delta Pi honor society and St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Fritsche said the volunteers have been "motivated to perform their own excitement at each stop."

Fritsche is with Quest Promotions, a Frohna, Mo.-based organization that is behind the race, the kind of event that may be more typical of larger metropolitan areas, he said. He described Quest Promotions as a "company bringing athletic events of this nature to Southeast Missouri." Last year the group organized the Berserker Challenge 5k race, a run through mud, hills and obstacles; that race will return Sept. 6 this year.

Fritsche promised that those who are not in the best of shape have a place in this year's festivities and should not shy away.

"This year's [Color Me Cape] 5k is not a timed event. It's more for the fun of the event [while] still promoting healthy living," Fritsche said. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome to participate, and Fritsche said he anticipates some babies in strollers and pets.

"We've been blown away by organizations that have jumped in from the beginning, the support we've received from the Downtown Cape organizations, and some of our sponsors," Fritsche said.

Fritsche's group was expecting 700 to 800 participants; nearly 2,000 have registered, he said.

A DJ will be on the main stage outside Bell Air Grill at noon, and the band Four Years Apart will perform at 3 p.m. Southeast Missouri State University cheerleaders also will be in attendance. Outside the grill will be the race announcer, vendor and sponsor tents, registration and paramedics.

"We've got a few surprises that will blow it up even bigger. That's what gets people excited," Fritsche said, adding that he knows some runners and running teams plan to dress in costume.

The event has 80 to 100 volunteers helping at the work stations, color stops, intersections, and with registration.

The cost is $40 for those 13 and older, and $20 for children 12 and younger. Teams of four or more pay $30 per person.

Registration and Facebook information can be found at the Color Me Cape 5k website, colormecape.com, or by calling Fritsche at 846-7911.

SE Live editor Nancy Hadler contributed to this story.

Pertinent address:

24 S. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.