Maxey PTO creates inclusive space at annual Color Run

May 19, 2025

Maxey Elementary School parent Meagan Mohr smiled as she watched her 7-year-old son Lincoln enjoy a sensory-friendly run with his classmates.
 
Lincoln was one of 45 students who participated in a new activity at the annual Maxey Color Run. Organizers added a sensory-friendly event to provide a welcoming environment for students who have autism and other sensory-specific needs. Mohr was excited when she heard that the new Maxey Color Run option would be available for her son.
 
“The sensory-friendly run was a big draw for us just because having big crowds and lots of noise and just that sort of thing can really overwhelm him,” Mohr said. “So having a small, more intimate activity for him to do was a great option for him.”
 
Maxey Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) President Mara Krivohlavek and Maxey PTO Color Run Chair Liz Zillig said they were pleased with the feeling of unity that the new activity provided. Multiple Maxey families had expressed interest in having more sensory-friendly events during the school year. The Maxey Color Run attracts hundreds of people each spring, and organizers felt it would be a prime place to highlight the Lincoln Public Schools motto of All Means All.
 
“We want everyone in the community to feel like this is their school and that they have a part and a place here and that it’s a safe place,” Krivohlavek said. “And the kids just love seeing their teachers at this event, so we wanted to make sure that everybody who wanted to participate could.”
 
“It feels awesome, and we had a ton of kids and parents sign up for that sensory-friendly run,” Zillig said. “And that was super exciting to see, and we’re just really excited to see where it grows in our future events here at Maxey.”
 
Participants in a traditional color run are periodically showered with colorful powders as they move along the course route. The festive event also features many vibrant colors, loud music and other activities that stimulate the five senses of sound, touch, smell, taste and sight.
 
Some people react differently to these five senses in their everyday lives. This can be especially true at a color run, which can include bright hues from powdered materials and unexpected noises from large crowds. This may impact their ability to either process or enjoy one of these community events.
 
Maxey’s sensory-friendly run gave students like Lincoln the chance to take part in the social activity. The school partnered with Special Olympics of Nebraska to develop many options for children.
 
The 45 participants ran at 5:30 p.m. to avoid the commotion that came from the three nighttime races for other elementary students. They used paintbrushes to place paint on themselves instead of having it thrown at them, and they visited a sensory-friendly activity area that was located along the route.
                                       
Zillig asked Lincoln Children’s Museum co-worker Morgan Henning to bring the organization’s popular sensory area to the event. Henning, the museum’s operations and engagement manager, was happy to help. Students explored sensory-specific items such as a weighted mat, a stuffed bumblebee that vibrated and stickers and markers with pleasant smells.
 
“It was really cool to hear about it and wanting to be a part of it as well,” Henning said.
 
Mohr said she was grateful to watch her son enjoy a sensory-friendly experience. He tried participating in last year’s traditional run but found it difficult to navigate the route alongside hundreds of children.
 
“I was very excited,” Mohr said. “It’s always a relief kind of feeling when there’s an option that fits the needs of your child, and a lot of times there’s not that option. So it’s just really great that that was available.”
 
Maxey Principal Holly David heard many similar comments from parents and guardians throughout the night. She felt the school’s partnership with the PTO and Special Olympics of Nebraska had created many positive outcomes.
 
“We have a wonderful PTO organization who connects with all of our families here at Maxey, and they have been really excited for an opportunity to think about all of our events in a different way, especially this one that could be overwhelming for some of their students, their siblings, their family members,” David said. “To be able to come with more of a low-key event, softer music, an opportunity to engage in the color powder in the way that they feel is best for them, it’s been really opening and exciting for them.”
 
Zillig said the addition of the sensory-friendly run was one example of the close-knit community that is present at Maxey.
 
“We’re proud to offer those sensory-friendly opportunities and activities,” Zillig said. “Everything that we’ve done this year at all of our events, it means the world to us.”
 
For Mohr, the chance to watch her son smile made the trip to the Maxey Color Run even more special this spring.
 
“It feels wonderful,” Mohr said. “It feels like my child’s being seen and his needs are being met and people are willing to listen and accommodate. Having his peers see that, you know, Lincoln can do the same things that they can do. It just might look a little different.”
 
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