Contributing reports by Jonathan Massachi
On Friday June 8th, adidas hosted a 5K run in Temescal Park, Los Angeles in honor of their collaboration with Parley Ocean Plastics. Each adidas x Parley shoe saves 11 plastic bottles from the possibility of entering our oceans. Runners, ocean ambassadors, environmentalists, pro athletes, celebrities and influencers united to run for the oceans and raise awareness for the threat of marine plastic pollution at this event.
Upon arrival, guests were gifted special adidas x Parley reusable water bottles and themed running shirts.
The entire event had a plethora of interactive experiences and was created with Instagram and social media in mind. We loved all the fun photo opps around the park and even placed through the run. Giant “Run for the Ocean” flags were placed throughout the park and on the trail, which eventually led to an ocean front view- another perfect photo opportunity.
Other interactive stations include an area to create your own key chain out of recyclable materials and an iPad station where you could pledge to do your part to save our oceans. I also really enjoyed the underwater ocean exhibit highlighting the biodiversity of the oceans, which are being harmed by the constant addition of plastic waste.
One of the interactive experiences where you can see plastic items taken from the ocean and used to create the Parley Ocean Plastic.
After completing the 5K run and participating in the interactive experiences, attendees enjoyed vegan snacks and a special “Blue Lagoon” craft cocktail to relax before the rest of the programming. Runners were joined by a whole roster of stars including Arizona Cardinals first-round draft pick and Bruin Josh Rosen, model Scott Eastwood, singer Jhene Aiko, Los Angeles Sparks’ Nneka Ogwunike and Chelsea Gray and Love Squad creator Ally Love.
Model and Actor Scott Eastwood had a “Great run yesterday for a great cause.“
The night concluded with an amazing performance by Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals.
In addition to raising awareness for the cause, adidas is also raising funds for the Parley Ocean Plastic program. For each kilometer logged in the “Run for the Oceans” group on the Runtastic app through July 8th, adidas will donate $1 to Parley (up to $1 million). This event in Los Angeles is the first of 12 major running events hosted by adidas this summer to bring attention to the cause.
Check out adidas x Parley’s website for more information on their newly released shoes and future events.