By Julia Lovett-squires
Flamborough Review
Sun., June 19, 2022
Celebrate the beginning of summer with a burst of colour.
After a two-year hiatus, the Paint Challenge benefiting Healthy Youth Network is back.
“We are so excited and very grateful,” said Gary Keith Holmes, founder of the event.
“We’ve received tremendous support from the community, and I believe that there has never been a greater need for the Flamborough Paint Challenge than right now.”
Although it began in 2017, this will be the event’s fourth. To celebrate its return, organizers have decided to make it bigger than ever.
The event takes place at Joe Sams Leisure Park (752 Centre Rd.) June 29 from 3 to 8 p.m. Participants are encouraged to run the course and tackle the obstacles along the way. New this year will be a paintball target practice, as well as a food truck, which will feed hungry course runners.
“One of the biggest things is the fact that we haven’t had a community event since COVID started, so it’s kind of exciting,” said Caileigh Sangster, program co-ordinator for the Healthy Youth Network.
Organizers expect 600 people take part in this year’s challenge. They’ve called on local businesses to participate as well as to help support the event by spreading word of its return through flyers, among other means.
“Coming together as a community to support each other is really important,” said Sangster.
Putting on the event is also a collaborative effort between Healthy Youth Network and the community.
Offering its support, Turkstra Lumber has been storing and repairing the obstacles in advance of the June 29 challenge.
At the event, you can expect to see the Hamilton Police Service. Officers, alongside their four-legged partners of the equine and canine variety, will be on site to build connections with youth and cheer on participants.
“For the event to evolve to this level where we can do wonderful things, building relationships between the police and youth is phenomenal,” said Holmes.
For more information, and to sign up or volunteer, visit healthyouthnetwork.ca.
