2015 Good Sam Color Jam fun walk/run raises funds for facility
Walkers and runners had the opportunity to participate in some colorful fun today (Saturday, August 22), when they participated in the first-ever Good Sam Color Jam.
Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake hosted the event to raise funds for their facility. All funds raised will go towards a walking path around the facility for residents of The Village, tenants of The Lodge, their family members and friends to enjoy – while also promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The two-mile walk – or three-mile run – were not timed events; they were only used as a way for participants of all ages and abilities to come out, have fun and get colorful – all for a good cause.
Mountain Lake Family Fitness is the event’s primary sponsors. Additional race sponsors include the Mountain Lake Fire & Rescue Relief Association, United Prairie Bank, Salon 310, Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club, GWRA (Gold Wing Riders Association) Minnesota Chapter C, Progressive Chiropractic, Maynard’s, King Eggroll, Hy-Vee, Our Hometown Cafe, Laker Bar & Grill, Hometown Sanitation, Triumph State Bank-Darfur, Pop’d Kerns, Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mountain Lake Area Foundation.
Manning the color powder stations were – green: Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club, pink: Salon 310, teal: Good Samaritan Society residents and staff and yellow: Gold Wing Riders Association, Minnesota Chapter C. The color powder is 100% safe – and washable – creating a rainbow without the rain.
Below is a photo gallery from the inaugural event:
COLOR IS A power which directly influences the soul. – Wassily Kandinsky
ON-SITE REGISTRATION was signing up folks right up to run or walk time. At right, JD Tippin signs his name for the three-mile run, assisted by Jaime Banks, center and others.
EVENT HOST WAS Tim Flaata, right, Head of Maintenance for Good Samaritan of St. James.
GOOD SAMARITAN OF Mountain Lake and Good Samaritan of St. James Administrator Tim Swoboda welcomed folks to the first-ever Good Sam Color Jam.
BASIC WHITE – BEFORE the color fun – the Stadtlander sisters and friends. From left, Julie (Stadtlander) Johnson, Caitlyn Johnson with Jasper, Joley Hanson, Carrie (Stadtlander) Klassen, Doreen (Stadtlanlder) Paul, Amy (Stadtlander) Kremmin and Katie Kremmin. Mom Jan Stadtlander was on hand to dogsit Jasper during the walk.
CAITLYN JOHNSON GETS a little feisty with her green color power pouch during pre-walk festivities.
COUNTDOWN TO THE start of the two-mile walk – and the colors fly wildly overhead.
THE WHIPPING WINDS take the many colors skyward.
LEADING THE GROUP of walkers out onto the course was Minnesota State Representative for District 22-B, Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, riding his recumbent bicycle. Representative Hamilton serves on the Health and Human Services Committee in the State Legislature, and has worked in support of nursing homes, among other related issues.
SIMPLY A SISTER-studded selfie-stick salute. From left, Signey Stoesz, Marta Stoesz and Margo Stoesz.
MEMBERS OF THE Gold Wing Riders Association, Minnesota Chapter C (including Colette Johnson, Dietary Supervisor of Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake), right, plaster Kaysee Nesmoe, left and Jordan Becker, right, with – of course – yellow color powder.
EERILY APPEARING OUT of the yellow color powder mist are Kathy Harder, left and Jean Haberman, right, both of Mountain Lake.
COLETTE JOHNSON, AT right, strategically squirts some yellow color powder on spots selected by Kennedy Schroeder. At left is her dad, Mitch Schroeder, while her mom, Erica Schroeder and sister, Makaya Schroeder, are moving up behind. Directly behind Kennedy is Ethan Nickel. At far back can be seen, from left, Margo Stoesz, Kim Naas and Alisa Nickel.
A LARGER POOF of powder was reserved b yColette Johnson, right, for Alisa Nickel, left. Behind is Signey Stoesz.
HEATHER FREDERICKSEN OF Mountain Lake, front, puts her hands up, offering up no resistance to the application of the yellow color powder. Behind is Colette Johnson, still busy with her squirt bottle. Fredericksen is a Certified Nursing Assistant at Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake.
A CONTINGENT OF Mountain Lake Area Wolverine Cross Country runners participated in the three-mile run part of the Good Sam Color Jam. From left, Dima Hanson, Ashley Watkins, Karen Soutthivong, Co-Coach Matt Anderson, Seth Klassen, Ryan McCue, Aaron Fast, Andrew Fast, Brandon Louangsaphakdy and Anika Fast.
MOUNTAIN LAKE AREA Wolverine Cross Country Co-Coach Matt Anderson is set for the fun with his pouch of pink color powder.
2015 MISS MOUNTAIN Lake Carmen Syverson took to her bicycle to lead the run.
THE THREE-MILE Good Sam Color Jam runners salute the start of their race with tosses of their assorted color power packets.
AND – SPREAD OUT across the front parking lot of Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake – the runners are off.
GOOD SAMARITAN OF Mountain Lake residents and staff handled the teal color powder station. Above, Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake Director of Nursing Deb Kremmin, right, adds that color to the palette already on Dima Hanson’s T-shirt.
WITH A POWERFUL whoosh!, Reva Hulzebos, Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake Director of Human Resources, lets the teal color powder fly. On the receiving end is runner Amy Kufahl. Behind – getting set for their turn – are Karen Olson and Sheila Kirk.
DEB KREMMIN, RIGHT, adds a “blast” of teal to Karen Soutthivong’s once-white outfit, left. Soutthivong is an employee in the Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake’s Dietary Department.
REVA HULZEBOS, LEFT and Deb Kremmin, right, do double duty at the teal powder station, “coloring” three-mile runners, Kelby Janzen, front and her mom, Shanoah Janzen, back. At seven-years-old, Kelby was the youngest run participant.
ERLAND BRAUN, LEFT, once a short-term resident at Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake, doing some rehab following an injury, completes the two-mile walk, cheered on by Deb Kremmin, right.
ANOTHER THREE-MILE runner was 12-year-old Caden Swoboda – sporting a whole lot of purple.(Maybe in support of the Minnesota Vikings’ season?)
BETTY BRAUN, LEFT, introducing a new look in face make-up (yellow powder cheeks, nose, mouth and chin) is photobombed by her daughter, Amy Braun, right, making her own fashion statement (a completely-pink look). Betty Braun is a retired Certified Nursing Assistant from Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake.
WITH ONE GREEN arm – and one yellow arm – plus a T-shirt spotted with an eclectic array of colors, Eric Mathiowetz is plenty thirsty from trying to dodge folks spraying colors at him.
EVEN GOOD SAMARITAN of Mountain Lake resident Thelma Boldt got in the spirit of the day’s fun – bombarded with teal color powder.
EVENT ORGANIZERS THANK the crowd for their support in the first annual Good Sam Color Jam. At left is Amber Hughes, Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake Activity Director and at right is Misty Karschnik, the facility’s Office Manager/Financial Management. Not pictured is Alyssa Nesmoe, from the Good Samaritan of Mountain Lake’s Front Office.
