Cross Country Teams Plan “Dye Dash” as a Fundraiser
Head cross country coach Dan Vargason put together a 5K run to raise money for the program.
The last color run was held in the fall of 2015. It was organized by the Student Council and participants enjoyed it greatly.
The Atlantic Cross Country team will be holding a color run dubbed the “Dye Dash” on May 12 as a fundraiser to raise money for a chip-timing system. Head cross country coach and AHS Fuel advisor Dan Vargason is organizing the run with the help of the cross country team. The cost to participate is $30 and there is a small online registration fee. The t-shirts were designed by senior Trevor Wendt and the deadline to receive one is May 6. Day-of registration will begin at 8 a.m. and participants can also pick up their t-shirts at this time before the race starts at 9 a.m. There will be a DJ in the park during the race to play music for the runners.
Students were discussing the name of the run during an AHS Fuel meeting because they wanted to refrain from using a basic name like “color run.” According to Vargason, sophomore Reagan Pellet suggested the name Dye Dash and the rest “just went with it.”
Anyone in the community is welcome to participate in this 5K (3.1 miles) run. The run is going to be held at Sunnyside Park and Vargason said he is working with Seth Staashelm, Atlantic Parks and Recreation Director, as well as the Cass County Fair Board to get permission to use the fairgrounds to avoid the roads around Sunnyside.
25 people have signed up for the 5K so far but according to Vargason, most people wait until the deadline to register. ”If we could turn Facebook likes into sign-ups, we could probably raise $4,000-6,000 from the event,” Vargason said.
Brown’s Shoe Fit manager Brian Ruge offered to donate an item to encourage people to sign up instead of just receiving cash, and one male and one female have the opportunity to win a pair of new pair of shoes in a raffle after the run if they signed up by April 15.
The dye will be paid for by Megan Roberts from the State Farm Insurance Bureau and if it wasn’t for her “there wouldn’t be a dye dash, it would just be a 5k,” Vargason said. There is no backup plan for the race if there is rain because when the color gets wet “it gets more vibrant on the runners.” However, if there is severe weather the run will be rescheduled.
To register for the Dye Dash, visit https://dyedashatlantic.com/.
Tayler Burg, a senior at Atlantic High School has been involved in journalism for the past three years of high school. Burg has also been involved in track,...
Senior Pluma Pross has been involved in all aspects of AHS journalism over the past three years. This year she is a yearbook editor. Pross said her favorite...
