President’s Thoughts

We’ve all heard it before, and it’s true—it takes a village to make things happen. That’s so true up here in Gilpin. Many things get done in the county thanks to volunteers from “the village.” Take the Gilpin County Fair, for example. We had thousands of people visit the fair, enjoy the events, visit the vendor booths, and take part in activities over a two-and-a-half day outdoor party.

To make it happen, Krystal and the folks on the Fair Committee, along with Karen Eye and Marilyn Ashmore (of the Friends group), put together a volunteer task force to help with all aspects of setup, operations and cleanup. If you attended, you may have noticed how clean the grounds were, for example. That’s because volunteers helped keep it that way. If you had questions, people were around to answer them. If you visited the Fiber Arts show or entered Gilpin Gourmet, people were there to judge the entries and others sat as guardians during the fair. HCA brought their team of volunteers in to do the Sunday pancake breakfast, and Timberline had their team serving food and drink. And, there were so many other tasks that volunteers did that made the Fair so good.

But, volunteerism isn’t just limited to the Fair. We need volunteers for nearly all the activities involving the Community Center. As another example, we had a grant from the Denver Bronco foundation to do flag-football related activities this year. We’ve already sponsored one activity, with more to come. For that, we needed coaches. Joe Stranaly and Dave Knudson stepped up, along with some Gilpin football players, to make the first event a memorable one for the kids.

We’ve begun a rewards program for volunteers, to a volunteer appreciation dinner, pins, as well as punch card passes to the center. As we grow the volunteer program, we’ll add more incentives and rewards. I don’t think most of our volunteers expected rewards, but it’s only fair to recognize them for their hard work and willingness to step up!

We’re always looking for more volunteers, so if you’re interested in helping out with events such as the Spooky Stroll, the Fair, etc, we will happily welcome you to the fold! Just check out our volunteer form here.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been nearly five years since an intrepid group of Gilpinites from across the county banded together to help get our Community Center open (as safely as we could) during the first years of the pandemic. Those first Zoom meetings brought together folks from all around the county, of all persuasions, to work toward the common goal of opening the Center.

Today, we are still there for the Community Center, volunteering for and/or sponsoring events such as the Fair, a dance, a cleanup, water safety days, the Spooky Stroll, the Winter Arts Festival, and so much more. I’m really proud of the Friends members who have stepped up over the years.

Anyone who wants to join us is welcome to the fold. We don’t have membership dues, we just step up and help out where needed. We’re in the process of formalizing a volunteer program to help out with events at the Center and will announce more about that in a few days.

It’s been quite an honor to serve this group as president since 2020. I’ve worked with a stellar bunch of officers, including Sarah Swanson, Steve Schwettman, John Bryan, Susan Yeck, and Karen Eye. So, next time you’re at the Center for an event, and you see us around, say hi!

Carolyn

We’re excited to offer a dance on September 28th from 5:30 to 9 p.m. to celebrate the re-opening of the Gilpin County Community Center now that the roof replacement is nearly finished.

The dance idea is something our member Marilyn Ashmore came up with earlier this year. We wanted to celebrate the continued operation of the Center and, most important—to salute the amazing staff of the Center. They work SO hard to make it a welcoming place for all Gilpinites. That’s why we’re hoping folks will come and enjoy a bite to eat with us, dance to some amazing tunes from the 1920s to the 2020s, and visit with friends and neighbors. It’s really a good deal, considering you get food, drinks, music, and dancing all in one ticket!

As we were planning the dance starting last spring, P&R Director Chisholm mentioned an amazing “on-demand” video exercise system that she wanted to get for the Center. It allows people to select from an array of exercise programs to do their workouts. You can exercise individually or do it with a group. The more we looked at it, the more we liked it and since her budget is pretty tight, we decided to devote the proceeds from this dance to the purchase of that system. If possible, we’ll also add funds to our Heart of the Community Fund. That’s a “pot” of money we use that’s directly devoted to helping Gilpinites who need a little extra help to afford center activities and access.

So, that’s the idea behind the “We’re Still Dancing” and we hope to see our friends and neighbors there. I’ve already heard from some folks who are shaking out their dancing clothes—poodle skirts, hippy tie-dies, flapper dresses, even some “Downton Abbey” and “Old Time Central City/Black Hawk” outfits. You name it, we’ll see it. So, come on over and join us on September 28th from 5:30 to 9 p.m. You’ll have a good time supporting a worthy cause!

Carolyn Collins Petersen