Color Run 5K raises money for Johns Hopkins Children's Center

With a backdrop of clear skies and a temperature hovering around 70 degrees, more than 60 runners dashed through the walkways on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus toward The Beach, where they were pelted with colored powder dyes.

Co-sponsored by Dance Marathon and the Hopkins Organization for Programming, the 5K Color Run raised $600 to support the Johns Hopkins Children's Center—one of the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals. For the first time this year, the runners were joined by one of the Children's Center's Miracle Kids, Anderson, who was 9 years old when he sustained an injury that perforated his pancreas. With the help of surgeons and child life staff members at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Anderson is recovered and back to his active life, running the 5K race alongside Hopkins students.

"Every minute, 62 children are admitted to a Children's Miracle Network Hospital," said Daphna Varadi, a senior public health studies major and executive director of Dance Marathon at JHU. "Yesterday, we had 62 runners—one passionate runner to represent each of these children."

Johns Hopkins Dance Marathon is a year-round fundraising organization that supports the Children's Center. Last year, Dance Marathon raised $44,756 to fund the salary of a child life specialist, who plans weekend programs for the children receiving treatment to boost their morale and give them opportunities to play. The organization hopes to fund the position's salary again this year during their namesake event, an eight-hour Dance Marathon, which takes place Nov. 4-5.

Contributions to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center via Dance Marathon can be made online at any time.