MWR Hosts Color 5K Run

Photo By Spc. Brittany Stokes | CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - U.S. Army Soldiers sprint for the Color 5-kilometer run, Dec. 12, 2021 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Area Support Group-Kuwait regularly holds 5-K runs to boost morale on post. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Stokes)  

KUWAIT

12.12.2021

Story by Spc. Brittany Stokes 

345th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - U.S. Army Soldiers at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait participated in a 5-kilometer Color run, where they were doused with different colors of paint while completing the race, Dec, 12, 2021.
The Color run was jointly organized by the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation center of Camp Arifjan and Area Support Group-Kuwait as a fun way for Soldiers to compete in a physical event while building relationships and having fun at the same time.
Races like the Color Run are held monthly to provide all service members and civilians residing on post a chance to get some exercise in an enjoyable way .
“The soldiers have a lot of fun,” said Anthony Fernandes, the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Center Coordinator. “They get so excited to see color.”
At each kilometer mark, runners were doused from head to toe in a different colored powder, making artwork of the previously white t-shirt they began in.
After the race, participants received a 2021 Color Run t-shirt, almost matching the one they were raced in, rewarding them for their efforts in finishing the race.
Although 5K runs are held regularly on Camp Arifjan, this particular color-themed 5K had a special meaning to the community here on post.
“Today we are here to represent different communities,” said Binu Mantanama, the Fitness Lead for the MWR center. “The different colors represent AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service), Red Cross, Breast Cancer Awareness, Mental Health Awareness and Sexual Assault and Awareness (SHARP).”
Representation of different communities is important to the staff and leadership of the MWR and ASG-K as they continuously make efforts to strengthen bonds between local residents, civilians, and soldiers on post, as well as promote the message of each organization.
The staff of the MWR and ASG-Kuwait take pride in the festivities they put on for the soldiers, according to Fernandes. He says it is a rewarding experience to serve their communities and the soldiers that reside on post as they are away from their families.
“The staff gets so excited to mix colors,” said Fernandes. “They love getting buckets of red, pink, green, orange, blue, and yellow pigment and mixing it all up.”
They also enjoy the impact their hard work has on the participants.
“It puts a smile on their (staff) faces to see soldiers smile with pink dust all over their faces at the finish line,” said Fernandes. “ It especially makes us smile when Soldiers ask for more color to be thrown on them.”
Participating in the Color Run not only gives U.S. Army Soldiers a sense of belonging and community, but it also gives soldiers a sense of pride and togetherness, according to Fernandes. The top finishers got their pictures taken along with a group photo with all participants.
“They love the pictures,” said Fernandes. “They want to show their unit and their families back home. It makes them feel accomplished.”
This 5K run is a wonderful opportunity for the ASG-K and the MWR to serve their fellow communities and add a dash of color in the lives of the U.S. Army Soldiers on Camp Arifjan.

• Date Taken: 12.12.2021
• Date Posted: 12.20.2021 02:38
• Story ID: 411530
• Location: KW