Dixie State College’s Army ROTC will host a freedom run for anyone who would express his or her love of freedom by running a 5k at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Organizers of the running event will throw red, white and blue powder paint onto to the runners’ clothing as they are running in honor of America’s tradition of freedom.
“It’s a fun run,” said Justin Durham, DSC’s ROTC club president a senior integrated studies major from Las Vegas, Nev. “Runners can go as fast or as slow as they’d like. Runners will stop at freedom stations and declare their freedom and get pelted with paint.”
Durham said runners will be given white shirts to wear, and the colors will be an outward expression of the love of freedom.
Hyrum Durfee, a senior integrated studies major from Wolfeboro, N.H., said he’ll be helping with the technical aspects and throwing paint if he doesn’t run himself. He said the race goes throughout Dixie’s campus, consisting of a few blocks more than the President’s Fitness Loops.
Durfee also said the run was put together by the ROTC and St. George business owners. He said it’s much like the Color Me Rad run.
According to www.usafreedomrun.com, there are 15 locations for freedom runs in the Western states. Durham said this is the first run like this in St. George. He also said a big part of the reason for hosting the run is to soothe conflict in the nation.
“There was a very heated presidential race recently, which has caused a lot of discord in the people of our nation,” He said. “The event itself is designed to bring people together in all walks of life to declare their love of freedom.”
Registration for the St. George 5k freedom run can be found at www.usafreedomrun.com or at Hansen Stadium at 9 a.m., an hour before the run. The cost is $40, and with that fee runners will receive a white shirt, a flag and paint. Some the proceeds will go to support Dixie’s ROTC program.