COLTON COURIER Weekly
March 12, 2026
Vol 154, NO. 15
Colton Run Club’s Debut Race Held Without Finisher Medals Amid Budget Constraints
IECN.com
Riverside Celebrates Being a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite Pg. 3
PHOTO DAPHNE MARQUEZ Participants race to the finish line after a straightforward 5k run.
By Daphne Marquez
A
s the morning sun rose over Colton on Saturday March 7, runners laced up their shoes and gathered at the starting line for Colton Run Clubs 5K Race. The inaugural event kicked off at 8 AM, inviting community members of all ages to participate. The course both started and finished at
Preston Elementary’s David Yang Earns Statewide Honor for Excellence in Inclusive Leadership Pg. 4
Gov. Candidate Betty Yee: Public Health Emergency Declaration Needed in Inland Empire Pg. 5
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PHOTO DAPHNE MARQUEZ Participants waiting behind the starting line.
Cooley Drive on Old Ranch Road. The registration for the event was completely free, early participants were given t-shirts while everyone who finished the race was awarded with wristbands after finishing. After the race participants were also met by the Miss Colton Princesses, Teens, and Miss Colton where they handed out bowls of oranges and water to beat the heat. Coltons Lions Club was also in attendance,
running the registration stand and giving out numbers to participants. The Run Clubs first race proved to be a struggle in terms of finances, although tshirts had been made, there wasn’t a large enough budget for medals. Echevarria said, “The shortage was because of sponsorships. The race was free Colton Run, cont. next pg.
Best Buddies Prom for Students With Intellectual Disabilities Ends With National Orange Show Ticket Sale Donation By Manny Sandoval
H
undreds of students with intellectual disabilities from across San Bernardino County filled the dance floor at the National Orange Show on March 6 as the annual Best Buddies Prom returned for a night centered on friendship, inclusion and belonging. The most emotional moment of the evening came when National Orange Show CEO Sheri Raborn stepped onto the stage and announced that the fairgrounds would donate every dollar from ticket sales back to Best Buddies’ Inland Empire chapter. "This year, the NOS is going to donate 100% of the Prom ticket revenue received to host the Prom at the National Orange Show back to the Best Buddies Inland Empire Chapter to use as they see fit. That's the least we can do for everything you've done to honor both Dan Jimenez (former NOS CEO) and his daughter Joy (who passed away in 2012)." Raborn also
said the National Orange Show is committed to hosting the event for years to come. The announcement drew cheers and tears from advisors, parents and students gathered inside the event hall — a powerful show of support for a program dedicated to building friendships between students with and without intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1987 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies began as a friendship initiative at Georgetown University and has since grown into the world’s largest nonprofit organization focused on inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Heather Lozano, coordinator of the Best Buddies Prom and advisor to the Best Buddies chapter at Cajon High School, said the organization’s core mission is simple: create genuine friendships. “What the club does is pair students in general education Best Buddies Prom, cont. next pg.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Students dancing to the YMCA at the prom event.