More than 150 participants and volunteers filled Cobourg’s waterfront and downtown streets with colour on Sunday during YMCA Northumberland’s fourth annual Rainbow Run.
The event, organized by YMCA Northumberland in partnership with Northumberland Pride and the Cobourg Lions Club, brought residents together to celebrate Pride Month while raising funds for important community initiatives.
This year’s event introduced a new feature, the Bubble Dash, giving children and families an opportunity to run through a course filled with bubbles before the main event began. Participants then took part in either a 2.5-kilometre or five-kilometre run and walk that started at the Cobourg Yacht Club and travelled through the community.
The Rainbow Run supports both the YMCA Strong Communities Campaign and Northumberland Pride, helping fund programs and services aimed at creating a more inclusive and welcoming community.
“The Rainbow Run is so much more than a morning of movement,” said Eunice Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of YMCA Northumberland. “It is an opportunity for us to work side by side with other local organizations to offer a place where everyone feels seen and supported.”
Kirkpatrick added that the event demonstrates what can be accomplished when community organizations work together toward a common goal.
Along with the run, participants enjoyed snow cones provided by Northumberland Pride and a post-event barbecue hosted by the Cobourg Lions Club.
YMCA Northumberland credited numerous volunteers, staff members, Cobourg Police Service Auxiliary officers, St. John Ambulance personnel, sponsors, and community partners for helping make the event possible.
Organizers say the Rainbow Run continues to grow as both a celebration of inclusion and a fundraiser supporting opportunities for people throughout Northumberland to belong, grow, and thrive.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
