Join Friends of Children’s Hospital at the inaugural Kites and Rainbows Run on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Starkville, Mississippi. Participants can compete in a 10K run, 5K run or walk, 5K run and aquathlon, or a fun run. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit Friends of Children’s Hospital, a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $45 million for the state’s only children’s hospital.
Not only is the event Friends of Children’s Hospital’s first fundraiser in Starkville, but it also marks the first time Mississippi State University has partnered to host an aquathlon on campus. The swimming and running component includes a 5K run and an 800-yard swim in the Joe Frank Sanderson Center on Mississippi State’s campus.
“It’s great to have an event on campus that supports Children’s of Mississippi. I have a personal connection to the care provided there—my son spent about a week at Blair Batson, and my niece’s journey from a leukemia diagnosis through treatment to her recovery speaks volumes about the quality of care offered,” said Jeremiah Dumas, executive director for Mississippi State University’s department of transportation. “We are proud to play a role in organizing and bringing this inaugural event to life.”
All race events will start on Mississippi State’s campus in The Junction. Friends of Children’s Hospital partnered with The City of Starkville and the university to design a memorable race route for all participants. The 5K route strategically passes MSU’s most iconic landmarks and locations including the Drill Field, Chadwick Lake, Dudy Noble Field, Humphrey Coliseum and more. 10K runners will continue off campus into downtown Starkville, passing through Main Street and The Cotton District before returning to The Junction.
“We are so excited to host our first fundraiser in Starkville,” said Caitlin Foreman, executive director of Friends of Children’s Hospital. “It is fitting that Friends has a presence beyond the Jackson metro, as the children’s hospital serves the entire state. In fact, Children’s of Mississippi cared for several thousand pediatric patients from the Golden Triangle Region in 2024.”
With the entire state of Mississippi in mind, the Kites and Rainbows Run takes place the same weekend as the Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State baseball series. To unite both collegiate fan bases for the weekend’s festivities, the Kites and Rainbows Run Committee is comprised of faculty and students from both The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University.
“It’s an honor to help unite giving efforts from both schools to our state’s only children’s hospital,” said Byron Swetman, an Ole Miss student and the 2025 RebelTHON president. “We’re excited to engage students and faculty in volunteering and participating in Kites and Rainbows before heading over to the baseball game that afternoon.”
The Kites and Rainbows Run will welcome Children’s of Mississippi patients and their families from both Oxford and Starkville. Proceeds from the event will benefit Mississippi’s pediatric patients by funding the purchase of new equipment, facility renovations, and vital services.
To register for a race event, sponsor or volunteer, visit www.friendsofch.org/race, or contact Blair Gunter at blairgunter@friendsofch.org. Early bird registration pricing is now live, and registration costs increase on March 31, 2025.
About Friends of Children’s Hospital
Friends of Children’s Hospital, founded in 1989 by a group of dedicated volunteers from across the state, supports Mississippi’s only children’s hospital by driving fundraising, growing volunteerism and building awareness. Since its inception over 35 years ago, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $45 million to complete major building projects and sponsor specific programs and activities designed to benefit patients and their families. For more information about Friends of Children’s Hospital, please visit friendsofch.org or email friends@friendsofch.org.
