Regardless of how cloudy skies are Sunday, supporters of Homer Glen schools will be putting on sunglasses. It's not a fashion statement, and while the shades might protect their eyes from rays from above, that's not their main purpose.

They'll be wearing sunglasses so their eyes will remain their original color as they run and raise money for local education. As they run, participants will periodically be blasted by a colored cornstarch mixture designed to add fun to the event even while turning people, for example, blue.

Robyn Bates, of the Future Ready Student Foundation, a new group that's organizing the Mustang Color Run, said the color powder is environmentally sound.

“It's totally safe if the kids get some in their mouth,” she said. “It won't taste good, but it's safe.”

The 5K run/walk Mustang Color Run is set for Sunday at Lockport's Dellwood Park and will benefit the six schools in Homer Consolidated School District 33C.

The $30 registration fee includes sunglasses and a white shirt to act as a canvas for all the colors runners or walkers will be doused with.

“At the start line everyone gets a color packet to explode in the air,” said organizer Angela Adolf. “Then there will be six different color stations throughout the race.”

And participants will emerge at the finish looking like something out of a Jackson Pollock gallery.

“This is our first fundraising activity,” Bates said. “This is very new so we want to start off with a big push.”

Bates and Adolf helped organize a 5K color run in April but that was sponsored by the parent teacher organizations at only two schools, Hadley Middle School and Homer Junior High.

The Future Ready Student Foundation was created as sort of an umbrella PTO for all six schools, Bates said.

She said many parents have children attending different schools and would want to support fundraisers benefiting the entire district.

All the PTOs combined have been raising more than $100,000 a year through fundraisers, according to the district web site.

A goal for April's color run was to raise $20,000 but the goal for Sunday's district-wide color run is $150,000.

But that's an ideal amount and Adolf hopes to eventually get there in an annual event.

“That's if every student gave $40 because we have 3,700 students,” she said. “We're probably not going to get there (this year) but we're working on it.”

As of Friday nearly 600 students were registered to participate, but participants don't have to be students to join in the fun.

The color run is set up as a family, fun-oriented event and is not really a competition as no prizes are given.

Brian Stachacz participated in the color run in April and said, “It was great. It was a lot fun.”

He said he'll participate in Sunday's color run but he signs up for many races just to stay healthy and active and doesn't worry about winning.

“(The color run) gives an added dimension to running a 5K … and it's for a good cause,” Stachacz said.

The foundation, like the PTOs, seeks to raise money for classroom supplies, assemblies, technology and other school improvements. Participants in Sunday's color run will also receive a bag of “goodies” from local businesses.

Frank Vaisvilas is a freelancer.