WATSON STRONG: Color Fun Run to raise funds for St. Jude and the Foundation
Published on Monday, August 19, 2024, 12:09
- Submitted photo: Watson Calhoun succumbed to a long battle with brain cancer one month after his fourth birthday, on September 10, 2023. The inaugural Watson Strong Color Fun Run, a memorial 5K fundraising event, will be held in his honor on September 14 in Vidalia, Louisiana.
VIDALIA, Louisiana – What began as a fundraiser to honor four-year-old Watson Calhoun, who was battling cancer, is now a memorial event to support other families with children who face similar battles that Vidalia’s little superhero faced throughout his life.
The first annual Watson Strong Color Fun Run is a 5K run or walk that begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, across from Vidalia Upper Elementary School along Concordia Avenue. Registration for the event closes Sept. 1. Individual registration is $30 or $125 for a group of five.
Calhoun succumbed to a long battle with brain cancer on September 10, 2023, one month after his fourth birthday.
Submitted photo
Watson Calhoun succumbed to a long battle with brain cancer one month after his fourth birthday, on September 10, 2023. The inaugural Watson Strong Color Fun Run, a 5K memorial fundraising event, will be held in his honor on September 14 in Vidalia, Louisiana.
Now he is “forever 4” and out of pain after his health was a rollercoaster for most of his life, said fundraiser organizer Katherine Green.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be split equally between the Watson Strong Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The two-pronged approach initially supports St. Jude, “so that families don’t get bills and research there continues to be funded and maybe a cure will be found,” Green said.
Second, the foundation will support other families in similar situations to Calhoun.
“Even if they don’t get a bill from St. Jude, they still have other bills. And not everyone can make it to St. Jude and may have other hospital bills. This foundation will support children in our area.”
Green said she is currently looking for ways to support the family of Lilly-Ann Bryan, a local child who beat cancer but spent the last 80 days in the intensive care unit at Texas Children’s Hospital waiting for a lung transplant because her lungs were damaged by chemotherapy.
Anyone who would like to support the cause can contribute in various ways.
“We need more event sponsors,” Green said.
There are rewards for different sponsorship levels: $100 for a Bronze Level Sponsor, including a group social media post and a small logo on a sponsor banner and a business card in the racers’ gift bag; $250 for a Silver Level Sponsor, including a group social media post, a medium-sized logo on a sponsor banner and a business card in the racers’ gift bag, three participant shirts and two yard signs placed at the race track; $500 for a Gold Level Sponsor, including an individual social media post, a large logo on the sponsor banner, a business card in the racers’ gift bag, eight t-shirts for the race participants and five yard signs placed at the race track.
Individuals who would like to support the cause but are unable to attend on race day can send a Venmo donation to @Watsonstrong. Donations are tax deductible and forms will be mailed or emailed to the sponsor.
In addition to a fun race where participants are splattered with colored powder as they walk, run or bike the 5K, the festivities also include live music, food and retail booths, photo opportunities, children’s activities and more. Admission to all of these activities is free, Green said. There is also an after-party at the Vidalia Amphitheater that runs from noon to 2 p.m. on race day.
About 200 participants have already registered for the first year of this event, said Green.
“We’re going all out for the first year, but I also hope it’s fun so people come back every year. Our goal is to raise $5,000.”
Watson Strong merchandise and t-shirts are also available starting at $15.
Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners, as well as the best dressed adults and children. “So dress up and have fun,” Green said.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the event or becoming a vendor can email [email protected] or contact Green at 601-597-4400.
To register for the event, visit runsignup.com/Race/LA/Vidalia/WatsonStrong5kColorRun.
