Hundreds turn out for record-breaking Color Run

The Lower Moreland/Bryn Athyn 5K Color Run set a new record this year, raising significantly more than last year’s total thanks to strong registrations and generous donations. Nearly 500 students, families, and community members participated in this annual fundraiser, which officially launched Lower Moreland’s Mini-THON season on Saturday, September 20. Every dollar raised at the Color Run contributes to the school district’s overall Mini-THON total, which supports Four Diamonds. Its mission supports pediatric cancer research and new treatments and covers 100% of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for eligible Four Diamonds children.

As soon as students picked up their packets of bright powdered color, the fun began, even before the race started. Groups of friends tore open their bags and tossed the color at each other, so by the time runners stepped up to the starting line outside Lower Moreland Middle School, many were already draped head-to-toe in clouds of pink, blue, and green.

Laughter echoed across the school parking lot as the annual Color Run began at 8 am, sending a rainbow-streaked crowd down a 5K course that looped through Huntingdon Valley and Bryn Athyn. Participants also had the option to walk instead of running. 

“The little kids especially love becoming a mess,” said Adam Segalow, who oversaw the event with his wife, Ellen.

For the Segalows, this year’s race was more than just a run. It marked their first year as co-advisors of Lower Moreland High School’s Mini-THON. Both are Penn State alumni and longtime supporters of THON, Penn State’s famous dance marathon.

Adam’s connection runs deep. “I was very involved in THON at Penn State; I served on committees, and I even danced,” he recalled. “It was such a powerful experience to be involved in. When I first went to Mini-THON in high school, I realized it was the same thing on a smaller scale.”

Ellen brought both her professional and personal ties to the role. A French and Spanish teacher at Lower Moreland for more than two decades, she has witnessed nearly every Mini-THON since the event began at the school 18 years ago. “It immediately became my favorite student event of the year,” she said. “There’s no other event where you see so many kids get involved.” She and Adam live in Huntingdon Valley with their two children: Jackson, a freshman at Lower Moreland High School, and Brie, a seventh grader at the middle school. “This is something we get to do as a family,” Ellen added.

The 5K course started and ended in the circle outside the middle school, weaving down Buck Road, looping near Byberry Road, and passing through Bryn Athyn College’s campus. Local police and first responders from both Lower Moreland and Bryn Athyn ensured the route was safe. By the end of the race, runners crossed the finish line nearly unrecognizable under layers of colored powder, grinning as they tossed their remaining color packets into the air.

For the Segalows, it was the perfect start to a season of giving back.

Last year, the Color Run raised more than $12,000 for Four Diamonds. This year’s totals, while still being finalized, already far surpassed that figure, making it a record-breaking kickoff to the fundraising season.

But the Color Run was just the beginning of the fundraising season. This fall, Mini-THON leaders are also planning two other events. The first is “Flocking,” a lighthearted community prank that will continue through the fall. This involves students dropping off a flock of pink (plastic) flamingos on a neighbor’s or friend’s lawn complete with a sign announcing “You’ve Been Flocked for Mini-THON.” To have the flock removed or sent to someone else, the recipient makes a donation to Mini-THON. “People wake up to find flamingos on their lawn,” Adam said with a smile. “It’s silly, it’s fun, and it raises money for a serious cause.”

The second fundraiser will be “Kids’ Night Out,” scheduled for October 18. The event offers Lower Moreland parents a night off while high school students transform the school into a fall festival for elementary school children. “There’s a haunted house in the hallways, fun games in the gym, and all kinds of activities,” Ellen explained. “Parents love it because it’s affordable babysitting, and kids love it because the older students make it so much fun.”

Ellen often reminds students of the mission behind every fundraiser. “I tell them, when you put a flamingo on someone’s lawn and feel awkward for five minutes, remember that kids battling cancer feel uncomfortable for much longer than that. Everything we do comes back to helping them.”

All of these fundraising events build momentum for the main Mini-THON, this year taking place at Lower Moreland High School on November 21, a 12-hour, no-sitting, on-your-feet fundraiser modeled after Penn State’s THON. Last year, Lower Moreland’s Mini-THON raised an unsurpassed $247,000, a total that reflected not only the dedication of students but also the generosity of the wider community.

With more than 70 student captains overseeing 13 committees, the Segalows said the strength of Mini-THON, a student-led effort, comes from the students themselves. “The kids understand the purpose of what they’re doing,” Adam said. “They are truly compassionate and empathetic. They’re not just here to put something on a resume; they believe in this cause.”