On Saturday, Nov. 13, the head of the Freedom Drama Club and 11th-grade history teacher, Mr. Cole Eged, hosted a Color Run at Green Valley Park in New Sewickley Township. The 5k was set to start bright and early on that frigid November morning. All proceeds from the fundraiser benefitted the Freedom High School Drama Club and the musical that they will perform later in the school year. The cost was $15 for runners 14 years and older, and $5 for those 13 years and younger.

Students really enjoyed the idea of the Color Run because it gets the community and Drama Club members involved in an exciting activity. During a color run, people run the five-kilometer race. At every kilometer mark, the person will be doused in different colored chalks. There are no official times or winners, so 5k color runs can be run by first time runners as well as experienced athlete runners. In fact, most 5k participants are first time runners. 

Within the last few weeks, the casting list for the show that Freedom is doing this year has been released. The musical “Annie” has many of the Freedom students, along with Drama Club members, excited. 

“Annie” is a popular movie and Broadway musical about a little girl named Annie who was orphaned and taken in by “Daddy Warbucks.” She thinks that her parents are still alive and will be back to reclaim her. This leads to an intense stream of events that happens to young Annie. Junior Leannah Messenger landed the lead role in the musical this year and will be playing the tough and independent Annie.

“I’m ecstatic about the role of Annie, and I can’t wait to be able to showcase all the hard work we put into the drama club this year…I am so excited to do the show with my friends and some great directors,” Messenger said.

The show should be very exciting this year, but without funding, the musical may not be able to function to its greatest extent. 

During a typical year, Freedom often hosts the Haunted High School activity to raise money around Halloween time. Members of the Freedom Drama Club would spookily decorate the high school like a haunted house and dress up in scary costumes. People would pay to walk through the creepy school and get scared by drama members. Although this fundraiser is a tradition and also a school favorite, over the last few years the club hasn’t been able to do so as a result of the pandemic. 

Because the pandemic often can put limits on the activities that clubs can participate in, Eged found a creative and safe solution to fundraise for this year’s play. Since the color run results in a good turn out and people had a good time participating, this could possibly become a new tradition for the Freedom Drama Club.