Harmony Health charity run gets colorful

As 15-year-old Olivia Guynes jogged along the Marysville levee on Saturday morning, she was surrounded by a crowd throwing blue powder at her from every angle.

She loved it.

"It was a lot of color; they just ganged up on me," the teenager said later. "One of them was my grandpa."

Guynes was just one of 175 runners at the second annual Harmony Health Resolution Run.

This year, the health group added a little color to the three-plus mile race. Actually, they added a second race for runners who were just looking to have fun, dubbed "the color run."

The first race was for avid joggers. The second race included the "color fight."

Organizers and volunteers like Michelle Gracier mixed more than 300 pounds of corn starch and color for runners to throw at each other. They wanted 600 pounds of color, but nobody had that much corn starch.

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"It was just a great way to add some fun to exercising," Gracier explained.

Harmony Health CEO Rachel Farrell said the run is another way for the clinic to raise money and promote a healthy community.

"That's our whole vision," Farrell said. "And we're working towards all types of health — healthy people, a healthy mind, a healthy environment, social, dental — everything."

The Linda-based clinic raised about $7,000 through the event on Saturday morning, according to organizer Jennifer Jones.

It was all healthy fun and games for Yuba City fifth-graders Mahayla Shadwick and Paige Davenport.

Mahayla's mother, Vangie Flores, and Flores' friend, Tiffany Frey of Olivehurst, helped organize a group of 16 for the event. The ladies dressed in tutus and decorated themselves in color the night before the race.

"It's a color run," Frey said, "so you have to be colorful."

Olivehurst's Fabien Ebaniz planned to run — not walk — the entire race.

"Just because it's fun to run," the 11-year-old said.

Phoenix Farrell of Marysville also likes running and was excited to finish the race.

"I go very fast," the 7-year-old explained. "And I like red."

Meanwhile, Guynes dusted blue and red corn starch from her face while drinking water.

"That was hard," she said, "but worth it. It's a lot of fun, so I'll definitely do it again next year."

CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.