The Dead Garden Run starts at 7 a.m. on May 2. The event will be held at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens and admission is $45. All proceeds will be donated to the Gardens themselves, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the American Red Cross. The run is about three kilometers long and participants are chased by actors dressed as zombies, hence the name.

“For every person who survives and keeps their flags safe, they win a prize of free beer for ages over 21. The people who are under age will win a free soft drink,” Event Manager Aaron Berg said. “Also for children who are not able to go through the regular route, there is kids zone where there will be other activities they can enjoy.”

The admission fee for this event will rise from $45 to $55 on May 2. However, there is a 15% discount if the participants follow the Facebook page. The event will allow people to go through the route multiple times, and afterward, the base camp will hold a party for everyone to enjoy.

“At 3 p.m., there will be an after-party. There will be food for everyone to enjoy and a DJ. People can enjoy their time with their families as well because this is a family-friendly event,” Berg said.

The run is looking for around 100 volunteers that can help out in the event. Volunteers can choose to dress themselves as zombies or warn others about the zombies during the run. They can also be makeup artists, guides that lead the runners to a safe place, or first aid personnel. There is no registration fee for this, but people need to volunteer for at least four hours. Volunteers will receive free event t-shirts, free makeup of zombie disguises, and free access to the garden and party.

There will also be teams in which people can register for online. In order to make a team, a captain needs to be picked and then the rest of the people can register to be on that particular team. To win the competition, there are three challenges the teams need to undergo. The challenges that teams need to pass are going through the zombie garden without losing flag belts, shooting a ping pong ball at a zombie, and lastly the top ten teams will compete against each other in a final challenge to determine the top three rankings.

Along with donations for the run itself, there will also be many other ways for people to help out the community. The event will be supporting the Red Cross by allowing people to donate their blood in a Red Cross bloodmobile after participants have run.

“I did the zombie run last year, and I loved the energy from the zombies and adrenaline rush I got as I entered and ran through the maze. I hope to run again this year,” junior Brooke Safely said.
The Dead Garden Run will not only entertain individuals trying to avoid zombies and winning prizes, but it will greatly support and impact the garden and people’s health. Many people, including CHS students, should experience running away from zombies on May 2, or volunteer with the event.