The Run for the Trees: Happy Little 5K will return in 2021 after the inaugural event supporting state tree-planting efforts blew away organizers' expectations earlier this year.
The spring 2020 virtual 5K in honor of artist Bob Ross was originally capped at 1,000 participants. Then 20,000 people signed up to receive registration information, leading organizers to increase the cap to 25,000. Registration for the second annual event opens on Tuesday, Dec. 1; sign up for notifications here.
In this 5K by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, participants can walk, run or hike their race anywhere outdoors in Michigan from April 22-30. The event window encompasses two weekends plus Earth Day, April 22, and Arbor Day, April 30.
The entry fee is $34 per person. Every entrant will receive a Happy Little T-shirt, a commemorative bib and a finisher’s medal. A caricature of Ross is featured in the race materials. All proceeds will support planting “Happy Little Trees” and tree preservation at Michigan’s state parks, including locations that have been hard-hit by tree pests and diseases.
The race honors celebrated American painter and TV host Bob Ross. Ross shared his “happy little trees,” and love of painting and the environment with millions of viewers on “The Joy of Painting” TV show in the 1980s and 1990s. He was known for beautiful landscapes.
The DNR’s Happy Little Trees program, in partnership with Bob Ross Inc., helps state parks recover from invasive pests and diseases, including emerald ash borer and oak wilt, that threaten trees. It’s funded through the U.S. Forest Service’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
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