2024-05-06T08:08:34Z http://pikespeaksports.us/video/video/listTagged?tag=Elope&rss=yes&xn_auth=no tag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-10-22:5021591:Video:385494 2012-10-22T00:45:14.384Z Tim Bergsten http://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten

<a href="http://pikespeaksports.us/video/interview-with-waldo-waldo-5k-founder-chelise-foster"><br /> <img alt="Thumbnail" height="180" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2780496014?profile=original&amp;width=240&amp;height=180" width="240"></img><br /> </a> <br></br>An employee at the Elope Costume Company, Chelise Foster was hiking in Waldo Canyon two weeks before the worst wildfire in Colorado Springs history burned the precious area.<br></br> Waldo Canyon left an impression on her. When the smoke columns covered the sky and homes burned, she knew she had to help.<br></br> On Sunday (Oct. 21, 2012), her idea to create the…

<a href="http://pikespeaksports.us/video/interview-with-waldo-waldo-5k-founder-chelise-foster"><br /> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2780496014?profile=original&amp;width=240&amp;height=180" width="240" height="180" alt="Thumbnail" /><br /> </a><br />An employee at the Elope Costume Company, Chelise Foster was hiking in Waldo Canyon two weeks before the worst wildfire in Colorado Springs history burned the precious area.<br /> Waldo Canyon left an impression on her. When the smoke columns covered the sky and homes burned, she knew she had to help.<br /> On Sunday (Oct. 21, 2012), her idea to create the Waldo Waldo 5K blossomed into a community event of more than 1,000 runners dressed as Waldo.<br /> "My personal goal was 250, so I am extremely touched and overwhelmed," she said. "I never dreamed it would be this big in the first year."<br /> She enlisted the help of Randi Hitchcock of UpaDowna, a nonprofit organization in Colorado Springs that works to help people enjoy the outdoors. On a tight deadline, they planned the race. It was a hit.<br /> Funds raised will go to the Waldo Canyon Firefighters Fund. The success of the first race convinced Foster to make it an annual event.<br /> "We're going to do it again next year," she said.