If you’ve been around Pulaski for a while, chances are you’ve driven through Town one day to find the streets doused in a menagerie of different colors and shades. For those visiting Town, you might wonder just what could have caused this color bomb to explode all over our streets. If you live here, however, you probably know that all that color came from the annual ‘Color Me Cameron’ 5K run.
Color Me Cameron is a celebration of the life of Cameron Fitzwater, a young man who was tragically killed in a car accident in April of 2012. Though he may have passed away, his memory has been carried into the future by thousands of people who have participated in the 5K over the past seven years. The run has been cemented as one of the Town of Pulaski’s standout events, receiving a huge amount of regional attention. Cameron was a very active individual, both in his academic and personal life. Captain of the MACC Academic Team and a regular participant in Choir, Drama and Young Life, these accomplishments on their own testify to how involved he was among his peers and his community. But he took things a step further, being a Captain of his high school wrestling team, an active member of the Boy Scouts (achieving the rank of Eagle Scout), and attending the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School for Math and Science. Finally, he donated what personal time he had left to participating in Habitat for Humanity by building Habitat homes, and when Pulaski was hit by a tornado in 2011 he volunteered by cutting down trees and removing debris from roads so emergency response vehicles could get to where they were needed. Mr. Fitzwater had a plethora of other accolades and accomplishments that aren't mentioned here. If you'd like to read more about his life, check out this web page dedicated to the
5K and the Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
Another facet to the 5K run is the Cameron Fitzwater Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Every year, four seniors from Pulaski County High School are selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship in the spirit of continuing Cameron’s desire for higher learning and education. Through this scholarship, over 20 students have been giving the opportunity to further their learning by attending a two or four year university, and over $20,000 has been committed in Cameron’s name to that cause.
As we approach April of 2020, the Color Me Cameron 5K is gearing up to take place once again. On April 4th, participants will gather in front of Jackson Park to begin the race as they make their way through Town streets and along nature trails. The path will conclude back at the starting line in front of the Municipal Building. As they run, checkpoints staffed by race volunteers will douse them in color, resulting in everyone being coated in a rainbow of vibrant colors by race’s end. I ran in the race last year, and it really is a wonderful experience. Aside from being good for your health it served as a reminder to me that while life has its challenges, savor every moment of it. Everyone has a different path, and you never know where that path may take you, or when it will end.
All of us here at the Town offices are looking forward to the race! If you’re interested in signing up for the Color Me Cameron 5K yourself, they’re working on finalizing their registration process and should have it up and running soon. In the meantime, check out their
Facebook Page to stay up to date and for photos and video of previous runs. We’ll see you out on 1st Street on April 4th!