On October 18th, Family Reach hosted a color run at Fox Lane High School, where over 600 kids and their families participated in a run which helped families nationwide who are in need of our help.

Family Reach is a national organization that helps and takes several burdens away from families that have a child or parent diagnosed with cancer. Money raised from fundraisers is used to pay off the family’s incidental bills, or bills that insurance doesn’t cover (electricity, transportation, grocery shopping, etc…).

Family Reach is currently a high school club at Fox Lane, John Jay, Byram Hills, and Greeley; The continuation of students from different districts pioneering Family Reach as a club at their school will help spread the importance of the organization to several school districts and its students in New York, and hopefully to the rest of the nation.

Fox Lane’s club is the most successful, with over 150 students involved. The students were also successful in hosting not one, but two Family Reach color runs at their school. The fundraiser started with a meet up in the front of Fox Lane High School. Runners buy a white Family Reach T-shirt and different colors to throw on each other before the race. There were cannons which were used to shoot bursts of colors on you and your friends. There was a station where three tarps were covered in colors and runners would roll in them wearing their white tshirt and would then be covered in different colors. The colors were made of corn starch, meaning they were not toxic and easily came off of all clothing.

When it was time for the run, everyone gathered in front of the starting line. Brian Morello, Family Reach’s special programs and event manager, gave a great speech about the foundation’s mission and how everyone involved in the run are helping families in need nationwide.

The countdown then began for the race to start, and all the runners at the starting line threw their colors in the air. It was a 3.5 mile race that was through the neighborhoods near Fox Lane that circled back to the high school. There were different stations run by different kids during the race, that threw more colors on the runners as they were running.

Back at the high school, after running or walking the race, there were several food trucks and a DJ for all the runners and participants to enjoy. The “block party” brought a nice end to the fundraiser as everyone danced and ate their food together, as they were covered in colors.

The color run was a great and successful fundraising event, but this is not where it ends. As for the Family Reach club at John Jay, we’re currently brainstorming big fundraising events, such as the color run, to host in the spring! To do so we’re thinking of creative and small ideas to raise money for this upcoming Spring fundraiser.

If you’re interested in Family Reach and joining our club at John Jay, please come and stop by one of our meetings! We meet in Senora Pennica’s room (K111) every other Wednesday. We’re more than happy to have new members join us, help us brainstorm, and help us host our upcoming fundraisers! With involving yourself in the club meetings and coming to host one of our fundraisers, you will understand the true mission of Family Reach and their importance to many families in America.

To learn more about Family Reach and their mission, visit: www.familyreach.org