Kindergarten to Gr.8 students took part in Friday’s Colour Me Fun Run at Christopher Lake school. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Fun events

PHOTOS: Christopher Lake students get messy for a good cause

Jun 25, 2022 | 8:00 AM

With budgets tightening, schools across the province are forced to come up with creative and colourful ways to raise funds.

On Friday, the third annual Christopher Lake School Colour Me Fun Run raised over $19,000. That’s no small feat for a school with a few hundred students. Principal Dejan Letkeman explained to paNOW that the money goes to help enhance the educational experience of the students.

“For example technology, field trips, special presentations, those kinds of things,” he said.

Dozens of students took part in Friday’s event which featured an obstacle course in the school field, complete with a tires challenge and a water gun station. Numerous stations came equipped with colourful chalk which the children gleefully welcomed.

Friends get messy together. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

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The event was geared towards all ages. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Ready, set, go! (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Prior to COVID, the Colour Me Fun Run event had been held for two straight years but for obvious reasons, was shut down.

The excitement and smiles on the children’s faces Friday were an obvious sign of how much they missed it. A few participating parents appeared to be having an equally good time. Letkemen acknowledged it’s been a roller-coaster year.

“It’s been one of those odd years where we started the year with restrictions and then we had the Omnicron surge, which forced us to tighten things up in January and then things opened up after the winter,” he said.

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

No race is complete without a water station. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Some wholesome family fun. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Smiles all around. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Don’t worry mom, it’ll all wash out. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Can anyone spare a wash cloth? (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Looking cool, never looked so good. (Submitted)

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Not even this reporter could resist getting in on the fun. (Submitted)

Following the race and after all the paint supplies had dried up, prizes were handed out to the students who raised the most pledges.

Phys. Ed teacher David Bragg and Principal Letkeman also made good on their commitments. For $5,000 raised, Bragg got his head shaved. For $8,000 raised, Letkeman got his legs waxed.

And Monday night, for $10,000 raised, Letkeman will have to sleep on the school roof.

Principal Letkeman puts on a brave face. (Facebook/ Christopher Lake Public School)

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell