BENNINGTON — As a reward for reaching their $12,000 fundraising goal, the students of Bennington’s Grace Christian School held a Color Run outside the school on Monday.

School administrator Shawn Smith said the money was raised as part of the school’s second annual Race for Education fundraiser, in which students ask friends and family to sponsor their runs. Last year, Smith dyed his hair purple and blue as a reward for the students meeting their $10,000 goal. He said the $12,000 raised by students was matched by private donors, bringing the total raised for the school to $24,000. The money will go toward the school’s art, music, and science programs.

Smith said the science program would be getting a fume hood for the lab, which will allow for a wider variety of experiments, the music program will be getting new instruments, and the art program will be getting new supplies. The money will also help cover the cost of an art field trip the students participated in earlier this spring to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge, N.Y., where they studied the stained glass.

As of late last week, it didn’t look like the students would hit their goal, as only $8,000 had been raised by Thursday, said Smith. However, a final push of last minute donations on Monday morning helped push them over the edge.

The Color Run began at 2:20 p.m., after the students finished their sponsored hour of running or walking. Faculty and staff members threw colored powder at the students, who wore white or light-colored clothing in anticipation of the run.

Color runs have been popping up around the country since 2011. In the years since, over 6 million runners have participated in events in over 35 countries. According to TheColorRun.com, the powder used in the events is made of cornstarch, baking soda, and food coloring.

Reach staff writer Derek Carson at 802-447-7567, ext. 122 or @DerekCarsonBB