A Most Spirited Response
Jim Little's editorial in the Wet Mountain Tribune, January 7, 2010
Reprinted with permission
The 2009 Community Spirit campaign has ended, and though final numbers are still being tweaked, it appears that just under $200,000 will be distributed to nearly all 50 qualifying charities and non-profit organizations doing business here in Custer County.
Based on the not-quite-final tabulations, some 550 donors contributed in excess of $165,000 to the Community Spirit campaign which has been sponsored by the Wet Mountain Valley Community Foundation since 2004.
The Community Foundation committed $30,000 to be used to match contributions from the public ($10,000 of that amount was generously donated by the Anschutz Foundation of Denver). In addition, of the $165,000 contributed by the public, about $7,000 was earmarked for matching purposes.
Individual donations to this year’s campaign ranged from about $10 to $7,000. A majority came from here in Custer County, though many came from throughout the U.S. and even overseas.
In spite of the nation’s wobbly economy, this year’s Spirit Campaign saw individual contributions increase more than 30 percent over last year’s campaign totals. Last year, some 500 donors made contributions, with close to $150,000 ultimately distributed to local non-profits.
The final details of this most recent Spirit Campaign should be hammered out within a week or two. In the meantime, thanks to all who devoted their time and resources to contributing.
Since its inception in 2004, and including this year’s tally, some $800,000 has been donated to Custer County’s non-profit organizations through the Spirit Campaign. It’s a demonstration of the generosity and bigheartedness of the people who live (or wish they did) in our remarkable mountain Valley.
List of the Non-profits Receiving Distributions and the Amounts
In alphabetical order
—All Aboard Westcliffe, $3,315
—Animal Advocates, $2,142
—Cross D Bar Recreation Foundation, $1,325
—Custer 2020/Club America, $28,951
—Custer 4-H/Extension, $835
—Custer Affordable Housing, $60
—Custer Ambulance Corps, $315
—Custer Community Sharing Center, $870
—Custer Conservation District, $829
—Custer Genealogical and Historical Society, $252
—Custer Kids’ Club, $96
—Custer Medical Foundation, $265
—Custer Medical Foundation Scholarship Fund, $331
—Custer Pre-school, $33
—CCHS Select Women’s Choir, $33
—Custer Schools Excellence in Education, $1,955
—Custer Search and Rescue, $14,964
—Custer Senior Center, $145
—Custer Sheriff’s Department, $300
—Dark Skies, $5,648
—Fremont-Custer Historical Society, $835
—Friends of Beckwith Ranch, $4,196
—Friends of West Custer County Library District, $2,190
—Goal Miners Soccer Club, $318
—Helping Hands of Custer County, $655
—High Country Recycling, $863
—High Mountain Hay Fever Festival, $1,804
—Historic Willows School Society, $776
—In Concert, $5,339
—KWMV radio, $8,636
—Lighthouse Helpline and Pregnancy Center, $6,918
—Mission: Wolf, $2,228
—Operation Uplift, $265
—Outdoor Buddies, $1,762
—Paca Peace Ranch, $6,216
—PAWSitive Reaction, $1,040
—Pet Project WMV, $682
—Ranch of Hope, $9,558
—San Isabel Land Protection Trust, $17,467
—Sangres Art Guild, $2,116
—Share Colorado, $33
—Silver Cliff Museum, $2,038
—Sustainable Ways, $896
—VALI Assisted Living, $5,958
—Valley Parks and Recreation Youth Center, $514
—West Custer County Library District, $5,358
—Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts, $9,921
—Wet Mountain Fire Protection District, $12,497
—Wet Mountain Community Service (Rotary Van), $3,557
—Wet Mountain Rotary Foundation, $1,774
—Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club, $397
—Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehab Center, $5,507
—Wet Mountain Valley Community Medical Center, $3,863
—Wetmore Community Library, $3,683
—Wetmore Historical Society, $165
—Wetmore Volunteer Fire Department, $5,090
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