The annual Boys & Girls Club 5K for Futures and Color Run was held last Saturday and the event included getting splashed by the Durant Fire Department while releasing packets of colored powder.
“This is one of our fundraising events,” said Tami Ghadianloo, Boys & Girls Club Red River Valley unit director “It’s called our Color Fun Run. It’s just to help raise some funds for scholarships for some of our members so that we would continue to have additional members here. This is our largest turnout.”
Kam Sallee, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Red River Valley, said this was the first year the club partnered with the Choctaw Nation Promoting Active Community Everywhere (PACE) program. This is a program by the tribe to promote the importance and awareness of regular physical activity through walking or running for a healthier lifestyle.
“Half of our registers were through the PACE program, so very thankful for Choctaw Nation and that program that allows our runners to be able to be able to come out here and have a good time and not have to worry about the burden of the registration fee, and it still supports the Boys & Girls Club,” Sallee said.
Ghadianloo said, “So, also kind of what it does is it’s kind of fun … one of our programs that we do is called the Trail Program through the Choctaws. It’s a diabetes prevention. So, not only are we doing a fundraiser, but we do the Choctaw prevention and we pair up with the PACE program that allows us to get activities. So that way, you’re getting out, we’re getting people moving. Our kids are able to walk for free, the kids that are wanting to come into it. So that way, we can encourage healthy habits.”
The Durant Boys & Girls Club currently has 220 registered members and Ghadianloo expects that to increase to 250-260.
Other events the club is planning include a haunted hall.
“We have what we call our Torch Club which is our teen kids,” Ghadianloo said. “That’s one of their events that they started last year that we opened up to the community and then also to help open up to our families. To help get our families see more of the inside of the club. We’ll also be opening up our doors for our Fall Festival that will be coming up in September.”
The club is pleased with the support for the annual color run.
“We’re just really happy with the community on their support that they give us every year and we’re just excited to be here,” Sallee said.
Runners take off during the 2025 Boys & Girls Club 5K for Futures and Color Run last Saturday.
