Local community members will be able to participate in the first ever Cochrane colour run.

Vaughn's Memorial Color Run will provide a burst of colours for runners on Sunday, September 3 raising funds for the Vaughn Sawchuk Foundation.

Last year the Vaughn Sawchuk Foundation held a painting evening fundraiser and when an opportunity came to combine art and running, Jaime Sawchuk (mom/ organizer) couldn't pass it by.

Always wanting to plan a run, Jaime, with a little help from friends has planned a fun run with a heart worthy cause. It was revealed to her in utero that her son Vaughn had a condition known as Ebstein's Anomaly which affects the anatomical construction and functionality of the heart. Although little Vaughn fought with every ounce he had, after seven surgeries in 28 days, Vaughn's fight ended. Since his passing, the Sawchuk's continue to raise funds for a self contained pediatric unit specifically for cardiac patients at the Stollery in Edmonton.

"That new unit is scheduled to open in November and they are right on schedule to open. It is going to be an amazing state of the art unit, I think how lucky those families are going to be to have their own space."

The PCICU unit will contain 25 beds with each room being self contained enabling families to stay together and have privacy.

The run itself will feature a 5km, 10km, and 1km children's fun run, so the whole family can partake. Every kilometre will see a new colour introduced as volunteers on the sideline give every runner/walker a splattering of colour as they pass by the marker.

Depending on how many runners sign up will determine how many volunteers Jaime needs, and details of sideline entertainment are still unfolding.

While Jaime has no specific goal for fundraising every dollar gets her closer to her ultimate dream of $100,000. The Vaughn Sawchuk Foundation has already raised over $10,000 and reaching her secondary $100,000 goal will enable them to have a room named after Vaughn. "Having his name up on that wall or that room is always going to be every report card that didn't come home, or drawing on the fridge; all those phone calls or all those moments you are going to go through in life."

To sign up for Cochrane's first ever colour run, you can do so here.