Kym’s Kolour Fun Run illuminates Ballybofey for local causes

Attendees of Kym’s Kolour Fun Run in Ballybofey denied the poor weather to dampen a vibrant and colourful day, raising thousands of euros for local causes. 

The annual event returned to Ballybofey on Sunday, August 31, organised in memory of the late Kym Harley.

Kym Harley tragically died in a car accident in 2014 at 19 years of age. This year’s Kolour Fun Run was especially poignant for her family, as Kym would have turned 30 in 2025.

One of the organisers, Kym’s sister, Hannah Harley, told Donegal Live that over 250 people attended the event and that everyone had a great day.

The event saw participants take in a 3km course in Ballybofey, and be covered in body-safe colour paint as they completed the course in a very different state to how they began the event. 

“It went really well,” said Hannah. “We had a great turnout despite the weather. I think a lot of people were scared by the weather warnings, but we had a great crowd, which was so good to see that people came out. We were getting covered in paint anyway.

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“Everyone took the rain in their stride, and it was still great fun. The children were stamping in the puddles, but we were worried about how it was going to play out. We didn’t want to take that risk of cancelling.

“We had some games on the marquee, and we had spot prizes. The children were happy, which was great.”

Catherine McGeehan cut the ribbons to signal the start of the event and earned special praise from Hannah. 

Hannah commented: “Catherine goes to the Bluestack Foundation, and we gave money to them a few years ago. She is a great girl who did very well on Sunday.” 

Previous events have raised over €40,000 for local charities, schools, and causes in the Ballybofey area and its environs, and Hannah was confident about the charitable success of this year’s edition.

“We have not done the final tally, but we have definitely done a few thousand euros,” said Hannah.

“Everyone was really generous. We have not spoken about what local causes it will go to, but in the next few days, we will talk. We don’t give away all the money from the start. We can wait and see what different schools, clubs, or individuals are in need throughout the year, and we will try to distribute the money as evenly as we can, but we will keep everybody up to date on Facebook and Instagram.”

Further information on the event can be found on social media, including kymskolourfunrun on Instagram.