‘Butterfly Color Run’ will honor Freehold, NJ’s Stephanie Parze

The Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation is holding its third annual Butterfly Color Run / Walk on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Lake Topanemus Park in Freehold, NJ.

Gates open at 10 a.m. but the run doesn’t start until 11:50 a.m. For those who choose to walk the course, the start time is 12 p.m.

Registration is now open for the event, you can either register as an individual (click here), or as a team/ family (click here). Be sure to register by Sept. 24 if you want an early bird discount.

You can pregame the run (no, not with alcohol) with some fun featured events. There will be a fishing derby starting at 8:30 a.m., though check in begins at 7:45 a.m.

(Note: you have to bring your own fishing gear and you’ll be provided with a cup of worms)

You can register for that here.

After that, there will be a Cornhole tournament beginning at 11:30 a.m. You can start checking in at 10 a.m.

In addition to all that, there will be live music starting at 10:30 a.m. from DJ Joe Kahwaty and N&D Electric Duo.

The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that benefits “survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and families of missing loved ones.”

It’s named for Stephanie Parze, who the Freehold community lost way too soon in 2019 when she was killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend, investigators say. Parze was only 25 years old.

Her tragic end shouldn’t be the only thing remembered about her, per the Foundation’s website,

“She was a student-athlete, a talented artist, and a compassionate, loyal friend to everyone she met.”

Her memory lives on in this event. You can find more info here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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