ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — Go wild while putting a little color into your day when Robertsdale Elementary School hosts the Bear Crawl Color Run and Wild Game Day on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the school.

The two events, which have been held separately in the past, are put on by the RES Parent-Teacher Organization and the RES Running Club as a way to raise funds for school needs, said RES Principal Faye Sheppard.

“These two events have been successful fundraisers for us in the past and by combining them we’re hoping to foster even more community involvement,” Sheppard said.

The event kicks off with late registration for the Third Annual Bear Crawl Color Run at 6 a.m. with proceeds from the event going to benefit the RES Running Club.

Color Run sponsors include Ellison Cabinetry, Eddie Hadley Construction, McKenzie Plumbing, LLC, Wofford Family, Glusman Vision Center, North Star Tower Service, Ard Printing, City of Robertsdale, Mark’s Barber Shop, East Bay Electric, Refra Chem Linings Inc. and Baldwin County Academic and Sports Foundation.

The race begins and ends at Robertsdale Elementary School with proceeds from the event going to benefit the RES Running Club.

The running club was formed in 2013 with the goal of participating in one competition per month. The club is open to students in third through sixth grades and includes more than 40 runners. The group meets every Thursday and competes in 5K races throughout the area. Late registration after Feb. 1 will cost $20 for adults and $15 for students.

A “color bomb explosion” of dyed corn starch will be let loose on the runners at 7:45 a.m. The 5K race is set to begin at 8 a.m. with the 1-mile fun run immediately following.

Registration forms can be picked up at the school before the day of the race.

Prizes for the top male finisher and top female finisher will be awarded following the race, according to race organizers Kim Dean and Mandy Fuller. T-shirts will be awarded to the first 300 registrants.

For more information email kddean@bcbe.org or akfuller@bcbe.org or call the school, 251-947-4003. You can also like the Robertsdale Elementary School or Robertsdale Elementary Running Club page on Facebook.

Wild Game Day

The school’s annual Wild Game Day will coincide with the race with silent auction bidding held from 8 to 10 a.m. with auction winners announced along with door prizes for the run at 10:30.

Wild Game Night was first started by Principal Faye Sheppard when she was an assistant principal at Central Baldwin Middle School and carried the tradition over to Robertsdale Elementary when she became principal six years ago.

Held in conjunction with Campbell Hardware, the event will include local vendors and demonstrations.

Animals from Robertsdale Elementary School’s own science lab  will be on hand, as well as pony rides, an Easter photo booth with live bunnies, chicks and ducklings and a special appearance from Paisley, a trained monkey, all courtesy of Morris Farms of Elsanor.

This year the school will be preselling plates at a cost of $10 with menu items including wild hog barbecue, deer sausage, gumbo and jambalaya.

The auction will include baskets prepared by local classrooms and shadowing opportunities with municipal and county figures, including Sheppard and other RES administrators, Mayor Charles Murphy, Police Chief Brad Kendrick, Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack and County Commission Chairman Tucker Dorsey.

Wild Game bands will be on sale at the event at a cost of $5 for unlimited game play for kids of all ages.

While school officials are still looking for a way to provide a track facility at the school, Sheppard said proceeds will likely be used for added security measures at the school.

“Right now things like bulletproof film for the glass on the windows at the school is a more immediate need,” she said. “There is still a definite need for a track and we’re still trying to figure out a way to make that happen.”