IT was a colourful start to Orange’s Youth Week activities yesterday when more than 800 Orange residents willingly put themselves forward to be covered in dye.
Perfect autumn weather attracted walkers and runners to the Dye Hard fun run held at Gosling Creek - the first to be held in Orange and supported by Orange City Council.
Council’s community development officer Lynda Bowtell said she was thrilled with the number of registrations of people of all ages for yesterday’s inaugural Dye Hard fun run.
“This is something really different for the start of Youth Week, but just looking around today its great to see so many people here - particularly young people who have dressed in fancy dress to get into the spirit of the event,” she said.
Organiser Rod Fardell said people showed great support for the event.
“They have really got into the spirit of it,” Mr Fardell said.
“Everyone appears to have had a great time.”
VIDEO: All the action from Sunday's 2015 Dye Hard Fun Run in Orange:
As participants lined up at the start they were sprayed with powder in a variety of colours.
Each time they came round for a total of three laps, the participants were covered in more layers of dye.
In a final frenzy at the end of the event the participants all came together for a concentrated colour release - ensuring they all left covered in dye.
Although the fun run was not a competitive event it was 16-year-old Kinross Wolaroi Student Cameron Rasmussen who came in a long way ahead of the rest of the group.
“I don’t really run for competition - and I haven’t really been running since year 6,” he said.
“I just run because I enjoy it and I don’t train.”
Mr Fardell said an announcement will be made in the next few days about the amount of money from the event that is being donated to Orange City Council’s Merge school holiday program.
The program was set-up with the assistance of council several years ago, to identify children who could benefit from a range of planned and supported activities during school holidays.
Today a special event to help young people learn the art of skateboarding will be held at the skate park on the corner of Warrendine and Anson streets starting at 2.30pm.
