Chester County sets October date for Color 5K to combat opioid epidemic

From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Chester County officials are inviting runners and walkers from all corners of the county to participate in the 7th annual Color 5K, a race to raise awareness and funds to combat the ongoing opioid and heroin crisis.

This year’s Color 5K will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Exton Park and the Chester Valley Trail. Pre-registration is already available online. On-site registration starts at 8 a.m., and the race begins at 9 a.m.

“Since we started this, we’ve raised over $200,000. It’s really terrific,” said Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline, who led the effort to establish the run in 2016.

The event’s presenting sponsor is the John R. Gailey and JoEllen Berger Charitable Trust.

“They’ve done this since 2019, and we’re really grateful for their support. They’re doing it in memory of a loved one, which is wonderful, and every year we’ve gotten thousands of participants,” Kichline said.

Proceeds from this year’s Color 5K will go towards Chester County’s Community Outreach Prevention and Education (COPE) program and supporting warm hand-offs.

A warm hand-off is the process of transferring a patient from the care of one health provider, such as an emergency department, to a community treatment center. The COPE program provides overdose patients in Chester County emergency rooms with a direct connection to a recovery specialist.

“Folks can get triaged and immediately go to treatment versus being released back into the community without proper treatment,” said Jamie Johnson, director of the Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services.

Johnson said it’s important for the public to realize that wealthier counties like Chesco are not immune to the opioid crisis.

“Not only do we want people to know, most importantly, that treatment is available and recovery is possible, but also that funding is available for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured through Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services,” Johnson said. “And the event does reduce stigma because typically when you think of somebody with substance use disorder, you may not think that they’re your neighbor or your nephew or your father — but they are.”