Color runs have grown in popularity over the years, but reports show the powder thrown onto the runners can be hazardous.
Now, the Pasco County School District is taking action, which led to one school canceling the event.
Seven Springs Middle School was planning a color run March 5 but has canceled the event.
It’s a fun, vibrant, and a healthy way to raise money — or so many thought.
“It's a fun fundraiser, but recently, it came to our attention that it’s also dangerous in some instances," school district spokesperson Linda Cobbe said.
Typically during color runs, large amounts of powder is thrown at the runners. The powder is usually made with colored corn starch.
Recently, the district sent out a memo to all its schools recommending they not to use colored corn starch powder in its color runs.
“Looking at CDC and OSHA paperwork, it is a skin irritant, and it can be a respiratory irritant. The scariest part is it can be flammable," Cobbe said.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, corn starch is noncombustible, but under certain circumstances, the dust can be an explosion hazard.
Principal Dr. Chris Dunning said his supervisors suggested canceling the event.
“Unfortunately, they advised against it and felt that after watching the videos on YouTube and looking at the risks," Dunning said. "It just wasn't a good situation to have our students involved in."
The decision upset parents and organizers who have been working on the March event for months.
“Fundraising is hard at this age level,” parent and organizer Toni Maxton said. “So to find something that we finally got them interested in and excited about and now we have to cancel it with just a few weeks left is really disappointing."
The district suggested colored water, but the school didn’t see it as an option. It plans to come up with other ideas for next year.
The state fire marshal said it was aware of reports that the powders in color runs are hazardous, but it does not regulate them, and there is no code against them.