Color Buzzkill: Color Run Canceled Due To Lack Of Contract, Lakewood BlueClaws Say

LAKEWOOD, NJ — If you signed up to participate in the Color Buzz run that was scheduled for July at FirstEnergy Park and then canceled, we have news for you: the company never put down a deposit to use the Lakewood BlueClaws' venue.

And as of right now, they still have no date or venue for the race.

The event, called the Color Buzz 5K, was scheduled for July 16 at First Energy Park in Lakewood, home of the BlueClaws. But in mid-July, runners who had signed up for the event received an email informing them it had been canceled and would be rescheduled.

ABC's 7 On Your Side said it was contacted by a group of runners who were scheduled to participate as part of a fundraiser for a Woodbridge teen who is battling brain cancer.

Amy Mikosz, a race participant told 7 On Your Side that she and others in the group had tried to contact the company that operates the race, We Do Reality, but that no one had responded.

According to the Color Buzz website, participants paid a minimum of $19 per person to participate, $29 for those who wanted a VIP experience. The event organizers promised laser lights, foam waterfalls, bubbles and more during the 5K event. But on July 8, registered, paid participants received an email from the company that said the event had to be rescheduled "due to unforeseen circumstances."

A month later, no reschedule date has been announced, despite promises in the email that participants would be notified, and the Color Buzz website still has no definitive date for the event.

Greg Giombarrese, a spokesman for the BlueClaws, said FirstEnergy Park never received a signed contract from the company.

"Starting about a month out (from the event) we ramped up, saying 'Hey, you have to get us a deposit,' " Giombarrese said. But he said the company never responded, and about two weeks before the event, it notified the company that it was canceling the event.

"The BlueClaws have not had any contact with event organizers over the last several months," First Energy Park said in an announcement about the cancellation on its website. "The BlueClaws urge anyone that has registered or contacted the organization to reach out to ColorBuzz.com and event organizers. We apologize for any inconvenience but the Color Buzz 5K will not be held at FirstEnergy Park."

Karen Lucchesi, whom the BlueClaws listed as a contact for the race company, said by telephone that the company had a contract with the BlueClaws but that the BlueClaws revised it and raised the price after the Color Buzz organizers chose to use food trucks to provide food and beverages instead of catering the event through the stadium.

Lucchesi — who said she is a booking agent who assists with the run on a volunteer basis — was asked for copies of the contracts, but said she did not have them immediately available and would forward them later. Lucchesi said her role is merely putting the company, We Do Reality, in touch with venues because, she said, she has a number of contacts in baseball.

Giombarrese confirmed that the price was increased when it was decided the event organizers would use food trucks.

"This increase is standard for any BlueClaws special event that does not utilize stadium food options," he said. "Regardless, they never signed or paid a deposit."

The Color Buzz website does not list a telephone number for We Do Reality, or a business address. It also lists no information for either "Eric" or "Billy," whose names were included on email addresses that Giombarrese provided as other contacts for We Do Reality. Lucchesi said she did not have their telephone numbers handy but would provide contact information via text message.

"They're a big company," Lucchesi said. "They're a nice group. Sometimes something comes up, bad weather, other problems and they have to cancel. Venues are usually good about rescheduling."

Lucchesi said she did not know how many people had registered to participate. As of Tuesday, the Color Buzz website was still taking registrations for the race despite the lack of a reschedule date or site.

A color run participant covered in colorful chalk, by Javierosh, via Flickr under Creative Commons license