Pink, purple, yellow and green colored powder filled the sky above Salisbury Elementary School Sept. 30, brightening things after a week of rain and dark clouds.

Sounds of joy and laughter could be heard as the students chased each other from one end to the other on the school’s front lawn, some throwing a football around. According to student Stacey Garcia, everyone at school has been waiting for the event. She told The Press, “This is a lot of fun. I can’t wait for the run.”

Before the official start of the run, students were invited to take part in the neon dance party being held in the gym.

Just before the start of the run, colored powder started flying in the air, with children and adults getting doused in different colors.

For Jennifer Freas, president of the PTO, this event is a celebration of the community coming together for the students of SES.

“We had record setting fundraising efforts by the Salisbury community for the Color Run. This year we have over 325 people participating, which is about 20% more than last year. We also have raised over $10,000 for the Salisbury Elementary PTO. The funds will help cover the costs for the school T-shirts, field trips, after school clubs and many other givebacks we do for the students and staff throughout the year. We are truly appreciative of the support we have received and are looking forward to some new exciting things this year.”

For district Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten, this is always a special event.

“I continue to marvel at our PTO’s commitment to raising funds in an effort to provide fun and engaging activities for our school community,” Fuini-Hetten said.

She also remarked on how well the afternoon went. She was happy to see everyone from students and families to the township’s first responders, enjoying themselves.

Salisbury Township Patrol Officer Bryan Losagio came to represent the police department’s commitment to this community event. He arrived on one of the new dirt bikes, Suzuki enduro.

“It’s a mid-size dirt bike used for patrolling streets, but specifically down by the river. On Constitution Drive, we have lots of problems with dirt bikes and stolen cars. People motoring down there after hours. It’s also good for residential traffic because you can sit at intersections and not take as much room as a patrol car. Residents love it. Kids are always coming up to the bike and we stop and talk to them.”

SES student Mason Dredge is one of the students who got the opportunity to sit on Losagio’s dirt bike. “It was a fun experience to go on the police bike,” Mason said.

Those bikes are installed with police sirens, which could be heard blaring when the color run started. For the students, that meant the highlight of the racecourse was approaching ... being doused with colored powder by the firefighters of both Eastern Salisbury Fire Department and Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company.

Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief Joshua Wells told The Press, “It’s important for the firefighters to be out here with the kids and show that we are part of the community. And we love the interaction with them.”

The same sentiments of community were echoed by Eastern Salisbury Firefighter Kaysie Bauder, who made it clear, “anything for the community.”