The Two-Year Dream Finally Becomes Reality
You know that feeling when you’ve been planning something for ages, and life keeps throwing curveballs your way? That’s exactly what happened with our charity colour run participation. For two whole years, we’d been trying to make this happen through Elixir Philanthropy, and honestly, there were moments when I wondered if it would ever come together.
But sometimes the universe has perfect timing, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
When we first spotted the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice colour run on social media, something just clicked. This wasn’t just another charity event this was exactly the kind of meaningful community engagement that Elixir Philanthropy was created for. Our tagline “Transforming Communities, One Cause at a Time” isn’t just marketing speak it’s a promise we made to ourselves and our community.
The moment we saw those vibrant photos of families covered head-to-toe in rainbow powder, all running together for such an incredible cause, we knew we had to be part of it. This was our chance to finally make that two-year dream a reality.
Why Forget Me Not Captured Our Hearts
Before I dive into our experience, let me tell you about the absolutely incredible organization we were supporting. Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice isn’t just a charity it’s a lifeline for families facing unimaginable challenges.
Based in Huddersfield, this remarkable hospice supports children and families across West Yorkshire who are dealing with life-limiting conditions. But here’s what really gets me they don’t just provide medical care. They offer hydrotherapy, creative therapy, days out, memory-making experiences, end-of-life care, bereavement support, and counselling. They’re literally creating moments of joy and comfort during the most difficult times imaginable.
What absolutely blew my mind was learning that they have to raise 90% of their £6 million annual funding through donations and fundraising events. Think about that for a second £6 million every single year, and almost all of it comes from people like us who believe in what they’re doing. That’s not just impressive that’s inspiring.
Their Russell House hospice facility is more than just a building it’s a sanctuary where families can find respite, support, and hope. They run charity shops throughout the region, organize events like the colour run we participated in, and work tirelessly to ensure that no family faces these challenges alone.
When you understand the scope of what Forget Me Not does, participating in their colour run becomes about so much more than just getting covered in powder and having a laugh. It becomes about being part of something that genuinely transforms lives.
Building Our Team: The Elixir Philanthropy Squad
Getting our team together was actually easier than I expected, which tells you everything you need to know about the people we work with. When we announced that Elixir Philanthropy was finally going to participate in the charity colour run we’d been talking about for two years, three team members immediately stepped up.
We didn’t need to do any convincing or arm-twisting. These weren’t people who felt obligated to participate because their boss was asking they were genuinely excited about supporting Forget Me Not and being part of something meaningful.
From the start, we decided to run as the official Elixir Philanthropy team. This wasn’t about individual participation this was about representing our values as a company and showing our community what we stand for. When you’re part of the Elixir Creative Media Studio family, supporting causes that matter isn’t just encouraged it’s part of who we are.
The Social Media Blitz: Spreading the Word Far and Wide
If there’s one thing we know how to do at Elixir, it’s leverage social media effectively. We went all-out promoting our participation and fundraising efforts across every platform we could think of.
Instagram stories, Facebook posts, TikTok videos we were everywhere. But this wasn’t just corporate social media posting this was personal. We shared why this cause mattered to us, what Forget Me Not does for families, and why we needed our community’s support.
The TikTok content was particularly effective. There’s something about the platform that makes charity content feel more authentic and engaging. We weren’t just asking for money we were telling a story about community, compassion, and coming together for something bigger than ourselves.
We also reached out directly to friends and family. Sometimes the most effective fundraising happens through personal connections. When someone you know and trust asks for your support, you’re much more likely to contribute than when it’s just another charity appeal in your social media feed.
The Direct Approach: Just Asking
Here’s something I’ve learned about fundraising over the years sometimes the best strategy is the simplest one. We just asked.
We reached out to colleagues, clients, and business contacts. We weren’t pushy or aggressive we simply explained what we were doing, why it mattered, and how they could help. The response was honestly overwhelming in the best possible way.
People want to support good causes, but they’re not always sure how or where to contribute. By giving our network a specific, time-limited opportunity to make a difference, we made it easy for them to get involved.
The key was being genuine about our motivation. This wasn’t a corporate PR exercise this was a group of people who genuinely cared about supporting families facing unimaginable challenges.
Event Day: When Weather Tries to Steal the Show
The morning of the colour run was, to put it mildly, a bit of a weather rollercoaster. We woke up to rain, and I’ll be honest, there was a moment when we wondered if the whole thing might be a washout.
But here’s the thing about charity events like this the people who show up aren’t fair-weather supporters. They’re committed to the cause, rain or shine. As we arrived at the venue, despite the drizzle, you could feel the energy building.
Then, just as the event was getting started, the weather decided to flip completely. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and suddenly it was blazing hot. British weather at its most unpredictable, but somehow it felt perfect for the day we were about to have.
My role was a bit different from the rest of our team. While they were preparing to get covered in colour powder and run the course, I was there as our team photographer. Someone needed to capture the experience, and honestly, I was excited to document this milestone moment for Elixir Philanthropy.
The Slow Build to Something Amazing
The start of the day was admittedly a bit slow. Between the weather uncertainty and people gradually arriving, there was a period where you might have wondered if the event would really take off.
But that’s the beauty of community events like this they build momentum organically. As more families arrived, as the volunteers got into position, as the colour stations were set up, you could feel the excitement growing.
The organizers from Forget Me Not were incredible. Despite the weather challenges and the logistics of coordinating hundreds of participants, they maintained such a positive, welcoming atmosphere. You could tell this wasn’t just a job for them this was personal.
When the Magic Really Started
Once the run officially began, everything changed. The atmosphere went from pleasant anticipation to pure joy in what felt like seconds.
Watching our team members line up with families, children, grandparents, and people from all walks of life was genuinely moving. This wasn’t just a charity event this was a community coming together for something that mattered.
The energy was infectious. People were laughing, cheering, encouraging each other, and you could see the genuine happiness on everyone’s faces. There’s something special about events where the cause is so clearly meaningful that it elevates everyone’s participation.
The Colour Experience: Joy with a Side of Powder
From my position as photographer, I had the perfect vantage point to watch our team and all the other participants experience the colour stations. The reactions were absolutely priceless.
Our team members came back from each station looking more and more like walking rainbows, and their grins got bigger with each color they collected. But here’s the funny part they loved the visual impact of the powder, but definitely weren’t fans of getting it in their mouths. Note to future participants: keep your mouth closed when running through those colour clouds!
Watching families go through the stations together was particularly heartwarming. Parents and children, all getting equally covered in powder, all laughing together, all supporting the same incredible cause. It reminded me why events like this are so powerful they bring people together in ways that traditional fundraising just can’t match.
The Community Response: Better Than We Could Have Imagined
The turnout was absolutely incredible. I honestly don’t know what the final participant count was, but from where I was standing, it looked like the entire community had come out to support Forget Me Not.
What struck me most was the diversity of participants. This wasn’t just one demographic or age group this was genuinely representative of the whole community. Families with young children, teenagers, adults, older participants everyone was there, everyone was participating, everyone was supporting the cause.
Seeing multi-generational families participating together was particularly special. Grandparents running alongside grandchildren, all of them getting equally covered in colour powder, all of them contributing to something meaningful. It’s the kind of scene that reminds you what community really means.
The Intergenerational Magic
One of the most beautiful aspects of the day was watching people from all ages participate together. There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing a charity event that brings together everyone from young children to grandparents, all united by a common cause.
The children were absolutely fearless, running straight through the colour stations with pure joy. The adults were more cautious but equally enthusiastic. The older participants brought a sense of dignity and purpose that elevated the whole event.
It made me think about how rare it is in our daily lives to see such genuine intergenerational cooperation. Everyone was supporting the same cause, everyone was having the same experience, everyone was making the same contribution. Age became irrelevant community became everything.
Learning About Impact: When Numbers Become Personal
One of the most powerful parts of the day was when the Forget Me Not team explained exactly how the money raised would be used. This wasn’t vague “it’ll help children” messaging this was specific, concrete impact.
They broke down how different donation amounts translate into real services. £10 could provide this, £50 could fund that, £100 could support a family in this specific way. Suddenly, our £500 target wasn’t just a number it was tangible support for families facing unimaginable challenges.
This kind of transparency is exactly why we chose to support Forget Me Not. They don’t just ask for money they show you exactly how that money transforms into real help for real families. It makes every pound feel significant, every donation feel personal.
The Photography Challenge: Capturing Joy in Motion
As the team photographer, my job was to document our participation and capture the spirit of the day. Let me tell you, photographing a colour run presents some unique challenges!
First, there’s the obvious issue of protecting your equipment from colour powder. Then there’s the challenge of capturing movement, emotion, and colour all at the same time. But the biggest challenge was simply choosing which moments to capture when literally every moment was worth documenting.
The joy on people’s faces as they emerged from colour stations, the determination of participants pushing through the course, the community spirit of families supporting each other it was all happening simultaneously, and all of it was worth preserving.
I wanted to make sure we had images that would help us tell this story properly, both for our own records and to inspire others to participate in future events. Sometimes the best marketing for charity events is simply showing people how much fun they can have while supporting a meaningful cause.
The Aftermath: Colorful Memories and Lasting Impact
By the end of the day, our team looked like they’d been through a rainbow explosion, and they couldn’t have been happier about it. The colour powder was everywhere in their hair, on their clothes, probably in places they’re still discovering but their smiles were even brighter than the colours.
The sense of accomplishment was palpable. We’d finally done the charity colour run we’d been planning for two years. We’d supported an incredible organization doing vital work in our community. We’d brought our team together for something meaningful. We’d shown our community what Elixir Philanthropy stands for.
But more than that, we’d been part of something bigger than ourselves. We’d contributed to a day that raised significant funds for Forget Me Not, brought the community together, and created positive memories for hundreds of families.
Reflections on Community and Purpose
Participating in the Forget Me Not colour run reinforced something I’ve always believed about business and community responsibility. We have an obligation to support the causes and organizations that make our communities stronger.
Elixir Philanthropy exists because we recognized that successful businesses should give back. But events like this remind me that giving back isn’t just about writing checks it’s about showing up, participating, and being part of the solution.
The families that Forget Me Not supports are dealing with challenges that most of us can’t even imagine. But through events like the colour run, we can all play a part in ensuring they don’t face those challenges alone.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
When you step back and look at what Forget Me Not accomplishes, it’s genuinely staggering. £6 million raised annually, 90% of it through community support like our colour run participation. Families supported through the most difficult times imaginable. Children given opportunities for joy, creativity, and normalcy despite life-limiting conditions.
Our contribution and our team’s participation might seem small in the context of their overall needs, but that’s not how community support works. It’s not about any single contribution being transformational it’s about hundreds of individuals, families, and businesses all deciding to be part of the solution.
Every team that participates, every individual who donates, every business that sponsors these events is contributing to something that genuinely transforms lives. That’s not hyperbole that’s the reality of what organizations like Forget Me Not accomplish every single day.
Looking Forward: Our Commitment Continues
Participating in the Forget Me Not colour run wasn’t a one-time gesture for Elixir Philanthropy. It was the beginning of an ongoing commitment to supporting this incredible organization and others like it.
We’re already planning our participation in next year’s event, and we’re exploring other ways to support Forget Me Not throughout the year. Because here’s the thing about organizations doing this kind of work they don’t just need support during big fundraising events they need consistent, ongoing community backing.
We’re also looking at how we can use our various subsidiary companies to provide additional support. Maybe Elixir Capture can offer photography services for their events. Maybe Elixir Business can provide marketing or design support. Maybe Team Elixir can help amplify their social media presence.
The beauty of having a diversified company structure like ours is that we can support causes in multiple ways, not just through financial contributions.
The Lesson in Persistence: Two Years in the Making
Looking back on our two-year journey to participate in this colour run, I’m reminded of something I wrote in our company history blog: “I know there are times when you want to give up, don’t. Keep going and keep learning.”
There were definitely moments over those two years when it felt like this colour run participation might never happen. Scheduling conflicts, budget constraints, team availability issues all the usual challenges that can derail good intentions.
But we kept coming back to it because we knew it aligned with our values and our mission. Sometimes the most meaningful accomplishments are the ones that take time to achieve. Sometimes persistence is the difference between good intentions and real impact.
Creating Beyond Boundaries: Charity Edition
Our company tagline is “Creating Beyond Boundaries,” and participating in the Forget Me Not colour run was a perfect example of what that means in practice. We didn’t let traditional business boundaries limit our community involvement. We didn’t let logistical challenges stop us from supporting a cause we believed in.
We created a way to combine team building, community engagement, charitable giving, and pure fun into a single experience. We pushed beyond the boundaries of what businesses typically do to support charities, and we created something meaningful for our team, our community
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