Despite some overcast weather Saturday, runners at the 2016 5K Earth Day Hippy Run and Walk "let the sunshine in" for a good cause.

Now in its third year, the Carbon County Chamber's annual 3.1-mile race along the D&L Rail Trail has raised money to benefit a scholarship for local high school seniors and nonprofits. It's also a great chance for those who wish it was still the '60s to dress as fun as they want without getting any weird looks on the street."It was just so much fun last year, people really get into it. we do contests as well. it's a lot of fun," Chamber Executive Director Marlyn Kissner said before the race.The event was started in 2014 by a group of young professionals in the "Leadership Carbon" program. Some of the alumni still return to help run the event. This year's edition benefited the nonprofit Turn To Us. Executive director Alicia Kline, who was helping sign up runners, said the chamber has provided her organization with networking for the organization that enabled it to connect with stakeholders in the community, in addition to the direct fundraising they did through the run."It's a fantastic partnership," she said.It also raised money for the chamber's scholarship fund."It benefits our scholarship fund for graduating seniors in Carbon County school districts and CCTI. They have to be either a member of FBLA, and if they don't have FBLA, they have to be in a business program," said Kathy Henderson, who planned the run for the Chamber.More than 100 runners dashed, jogged or walked through the 3.1-mile, out-and-back course along the Rail Trail, many of them decked out in some kind of flower-themed garb. Fans who lined up along the trail got in on the act, too, wearing their tie-dye.The event was put on with assistance from local businesses, with ambulance and fire police personnel from Lehighton helping as well."It's a lot of planning, but it's so worth it. We had over 110 registrations online, and people registering at the start," Henderson said.