 "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." – African Proverb
Since Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) was founded in 2007, we’ve embraced the idea of partnering with other organizations. In fact, the people who started LCF brought their idea of having a community foundation to life by choosing to partner with the Community Foundation of Boulder County (CFBC), an existing nonprofit organization. This decision proved to be a wise one, and the two organizations have worked closely together for the last 15 years. As an affiliate of CFBC, LCF is the beneficiary of many administrative resources that help us strengthen our local efforts. Since Gil Sparks stepped in as LCF Advisory Board Chair a few months ago, he has worked to deepen the relationship and the opportunities for cross-pollination with CFBC, including paying a visit to their offices in Boulder, and inviting CFBC staff members to participate in LCF advisory board meetings, starting with a day-long planning session here in Lyons. Similarly, Gil recently became a member of the CFBC Board of Trustees. We are grateful for this partnership, and enjoy working with the talented team at CFBC. Our ongoing partnership with another nonprofit, Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF), produces results that benefit our community. LEAF is an organization doing critical work for local residents, and all of us at LCF have deep respect for their team. Each year, a significant portion of our Community Support Grants funds go to LEAF, providing support for the LEAF Food Pantry, mental wellness programs, and more. On August 27th, 2023, LEAF and LCF will be joining forces to bring you the 3rd Annual Hootenanny. This community fundraiser is now a Summer tradition, with live music, a silent auction, a rubber ducky race, a kids zone, and more. The event will once again be held on the beautiful grounds of River Bend, thanks to yet another partnership, this one with owners Mike Whipp and Betsy Burton. Partnering with the Town of Lyons is also a priority for LCF. Whether it’s giving out grants to support the Sandstone Concert Series or programming for seniors, creating a float for the Holiday Parade of Lights, or setting up a tent with baked goods at local events, we endeavor to give both volunteer time and funds to help make Lyons a vibrant community and a great place to live. This June, we’re partnering with the town to put on the 3rd Annual Artisan Market. Scheduled for Sunday, June 4th from 10am-4pm, the Bohn Park event will feature 20+ vendors and music by the Blue Canyon Boys. During the event, the LCF team will be bringing together local grillmasters for “Grillin’ and Chillin’ in Lyons,” with tasty food for all, a healthy dose of competition, craft beer, and our locally-famous root beer floats. Events like the Hootenanny are only possible thanks to the financial sponsorship of local businesses, another important category of partners on which LCF relies. Without our local businesses, Lyons wouldn’t be the same. LCF attempts to support these businesses however we can, even in small ways like choosing to hold some of our meetings at local coffee shops or restaurants, and buying supplies locally whenever possible. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, the Lyons Community Foundation launched “The Lyons Share - a small business economic relief fund” in partnership with the St. Vrain Market. The fund, seeded with proceeds from the St. Vrain Market and matched by LCF, was designed to help local businesses survive the impact of COVID-19’s forced business closures. With the added donations from the Town of Lyons and area residents, the Lyons Share Fund provided $43,000 to local businesses in 2020. Earlier this month, Planet Bluegrass generously gave us the opportunity to bring in donations during their Easter celebration. Between bar proceeds, and donations at our baked goods tent, we brought in more than $1,200 in just a few hours! This money will go back into the community in the form of grants to nonprofits and scholarships. In just a few weeks, we are teaming up with the A-Lodge to bring you Movies on the Lawn, scheduled for the first Thursday of each month, May through October. The inaugural event is on May 4th, so come on out and enjoy a movie under the stars, sip a beverage or two, eat some delicious food, and show your support for both LCF and a local business. We are always open to new partnership opportunities. Please reach out with any ideas or proposals: info@lyonscf.org  Any long-time Lyons resident will tell you that the town has changed a lot since 2007, the year Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) was founded. Businesses have come and others have (sadly) gone, new houses have risen from what once were open fields, property values have increased exponentially, and the flood of 2013 brought devastation followed by a vast rebuilding effort.
One thing that hasn’t changed? Lyons is still a small town with a big heart. Evidence for that can be found in the commitment of our citizens to improving the community and giving back to others. The Lyons Community Foundation was established in 2007 when several generous and caring area residents saw the need for a locally-based philanthropy and began the hard work of setting up the organization. John Burke, Gary LaFever, and Rick England, among others, were key in laying this groundwork. Connie Eyster and Christy Crosser were the first Advisory Board co-chairs. LCF was established under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of Boulder County and remains one of their funds. In the 15 years since LCF was started, nearly 60 area residents have served on its Advisory Board, volunteering their time to help the community. Those same board members have collectively donated approximately $300,000 to LCF! In fact, many of LCF’s original board members continue to support the organization to this day, funding grants to nonprofits and scholarships for local students. One reason for having a community foundation is the ability to address the unique needs of a small and diverse community. There are events, projects, and programs that otherwise would not occur, given the budget and constraints of a small town. Accordingly, LCF focuses on raising funds to support a diverse range of projects and populations in order to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving and encourage positive change in the greater Lyons area. By offering a centralized source for fundraising, nonprofits can focus on their programs, and individuals and businesses have a way to easily support all the good work happening in the community. Since 2008, the first year LCF gave out grants, more than $500,000 has been awarded to a variety of local nonprofit organizations such as the Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund, the Town of Lyons, the Lyons Historical Society, Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens, the Lyons Elementary School PTO, and the Lyons Middle/Senior High School Booster Club. These community support grants help these organizations and others fulfill their missions. The 15 years since LCF was founded have also seen nearly $75,000 distributed to local graduating seniors to further their education. In all, approximately 70 students have benefitted from these scholarships. In no time was the need for a local foundation more critical than during the 2013 flood. Because LCF existed, the “Rebuild Lyons One life at Time” grant program was able to spring into action, awarding over $1M to local residents and businesses when they needed it most. Funds were given out within three months of the flood to address critical needs. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, the Lyons Community Foundation launched “The Lyons Share - a small business economic relief fund” in partnership with the St. Vrain Market. The fund, seeded with proceeds from the market and matched by LCF, was designed to help local businesses survive the impact of COVID-19’s forced business closures. With the added donations from the Town of Lyons and area residents, the Lyons Share Fund provided $43,000 to local businesses in 2020. As you can see, it’s been a busy and productive 15 years since our founding! Thank you to everyone who has donated and volunteered over the years. All of us at LCF are inspired by your dedication and commitment to this town we call home. We can’t wait to see what the next 15 years will bring, and we’re committed to keep making a difference in the lives of all who live here.  For the past six years, Jeanne Moore provided exceptional leadership for the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF), all for the benefit of our local non-profits, students, and local residents.
In January, I assumed her role as the LCF Advisory Board chair. Stepping into Jeanne's shoes is a daunting undertaking, but I believe that LCF's role in our community is critical. My wife Kay and I moved to Lyons in October 2020 to be with our son Chris, our daughter in law Jen, and our 4 year old granddaughter Juniper. We are both quite active in the community and have a vested interest in seeing it thrive, which is why I am committed to upholding and championing LCF’s mission and values. Many of you may not be aware that LCF is an advisory board of Community Foundation Boulder County (CFBC). CFBC has supported nonprofit organizations throughout the county for more than 31 years, granting nearly $150 million to community partners. CFBC has worked closely with LCF since 2007, to help us improve the quality of life for everyone in the greater Lyons area. As an affiliate of CFBC, LCF has been the beneficiary of many administrative resources to help supplement our local fundraising efforts. The resulting funds help us meet a myriad of our community’s needs, including being able to provide grants for flood recovery, assisting in keeping our businesses strong during the pandemic, providing college scholarships for local students, and, more recently, providing funding to assist with the Main Street fire recovery efforts. In addition to the critical programs listed above, Lyons Community Foundation also has the honor of helping bring you many of your favorite local events, such as the Sandstone Concert Series (Wednesday evenings in the Summer), the Artisan Market, the Hootenanny (scheduled for Sunday, August 27th this year), and the Holiday Parade of Lights. This Winter and Spring, there are several events you’ll want to put on your calendar. First, the Winter Wonderland Concert Series has two more family-friendly concerts scheduled: Saturday, Feb. 25th with Dechen Hawk performing, and Saturday, March 25th with Ian Brighton performing. If the weather is cold enough to allow ice skating, concerts will be held in LaVern Johnson Park, and free skate rentals will be available. If not, concerts may be moved to a sunnier location. Either way, hot chocolate and other goodies will be for sale, benefitting local non-profit organizations. We are also partnering with Gemini Adventures to bring you the second annual Lucky Lyons 5k and 10k run on March 11th, 2023. With a start and finish in Bohn Park, and a St. Patrick’s Day theme, this event is the perfect opportunity to don your green running gear and get out on our local trails. Participants will not only earn their green beer, they’ll be supporting a great cause, because net profits from the event will be donated to LCF. You can register for Lucky Lyons online at: https://geminiadventures.com/run/lucky-lyons I volunteered at an aid station for the race last year, and had a wonderful time cheering on all of the adults and kids who ran past. Kay and I will be volunteering again this year, and we’d love for you to join us. Please sign up to volunteer with us at: https://tinyurl.com/luckylyonsvolunteers Lastly, I’d be remiss this month if I failed to let you know that the deadline for college scholarship applications is March 10th. This year, we are offering 8 different scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to up to $5,000 each. They are open to Lyons area graduating seniors. All the details can be found on our website: https://www.lyonscf.org/ During my tenure as chair of the Advisory Board, I am hoping to get to meet and know as many of you as possible. Let's get together, over coffee, lunch or an afternoon beverage to discuss your thoughts about Lyons Community Foundation and its potential future contributions to our community. I can be reached at gsparks@nwi.net. Hope to hear from you.  The more support that nonprofit organizations have, as counted in both funds raised and volunteer hours devoted, the more good they can do. Thanks to the generous, ongoing support of community members in both of these realms, Lyons Community Foundation is thrilled to report that it will be able to do even more good in the greater Lyons area in 2023 than it was able to do in 2022.
With more than $150,000 in contributions, LCF had a banner year for fundraising in 2022. This amount compares to $119,955 raised in 2021, $98,973 raised in 2020, and $72,607 raised in 2019. All of the money raised will be used in support of LCF’s mission, which is to “improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving and encourage positive change for the greater Lyons area.” What does this mission look like in action? The funds you donate to LCF help nonprofit organizations like LEAF and the Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens, they are given out to local high school students in the form of college scholarships, and they support community events like the Sandstone Concert Series and the Holiday Parade of Lights. In short, the funds you give make life in our community better for all. To put fundraising dollars to good work requires a hardworking and committed team of people. Accordingly, LCF has welcomed several new board members to its Advisory Board over the last year. Current board members are: Gil Sparks (Chair), Cory Pierce (Vice Chair), Gail Frankfort (Co-Treasurer), Kathy Hoyt (Co-Treasurer), Sara Erickson (Secretary), Gwydion Winkelmeyer, Ravi Gandh, Ella Levy, David Mencin, Jesse Garland, Dave Hatchimonji, Sarah Lorang, and Zach Tucker. Gil Sparks, the new Board Chair, is well-suited for the role, having served on the Community Foundation of North Central Washington board for 14 years, including two years as Board Chair. He also served on the boards of the Pybus Market Charitable Foundation, Pybus Public Market, Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, the Performing Arts Center, the Chamber of Commerce (President-2 years), the YMCA, Rotary (President-1 year) and co-founded the Apple Valley Human Resource Association (President-2 years). Gil’s goal as LCF Board Chair is to keep growing the organization so it can do even more good in the greater Lyons area. He is always willing to sit down and chat with people who are interested in the organization and its work, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to him with any questions, concerns or ideas you might have about LCF and its role in the community. Departing LCF board members are Jeanne Moore and Claudia Kean, both of whom dedicated countless volunteer hours helping the community during their many years with LCF. Jeanne served as Board Chair, and Claudia as Co-Treasurer. The Advisory Board is grateful to Jeanne and Claudia for their dedication, and wishes them well in their future endeavors. Tanya Daty, who served for more than two years as a communications consultant for LCF, has also stepped down from her role. Tanya’s work has helped LCF grow and thrive, and she will be missed. To fill Tanya’s shoes, Kate Schnepel has stepped in as communications consultant, effective this month. Kate spent nearly three years volunteering time as an Advisory Board member before resigning that role in order to take on the paid consulting role. Kate’s professional background is in marketing and communications for nonprofit organizations, and she is excited to be putting her skills to work to serve the community she has grown to love since her family moved to Lyons in 2019. If you have interest in being a part of the work of LCF, consider volunteering or even joining the Advisory Board. Board members are asked to commit to a three-year term, attend monthly Board meetings, to participate on committees, and to become financial supporters of the organization. The LCF Advisory Board would like to represent the community it serves by adding board members who are diverse in age, background, talents, and skills. If you are interested in learning about becoming a board member or in volunteering your time to help out with fundraising, grants, scholarships, or special events, please contact us at info@lyonscf.org.
The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) is pleased to announce that there are now eight college scholarships available to graduating high school students from the greater Lyons area for the 2023 school year. Thanks to Cemex and the Lyons Garden Club, there are two new scholarships available this year. Cemex is funding a $1,000 scholarship to students wanting to be a steward for the environment. The Lyons Garden Club is sponsoring a $1,500 scholarship for students interested in pursuing a career in horticulture. Thank you to these local organizations/businesses for stepping up to help more students attend a post-secondary institution.
As prices increase everywhere, LCF has realized that the rate of tuition and books has also increased. Based on the Scholarship committee’s recommendation, the LCF Advisory Board decided to raise the maximum scholarship amount up to $5,000 per recipient for three of the scholarships they fund. If you are interested in honoring the memory of a loved one, please reach out to LCF (scholarship@lyonscf.org) to set up a scholarship fund in their name. Applications are available online at www.lyonscf.org under the Scholarships tab. Below is a brief description of each scholarship; please refer to the 2023 LCF Scholarship List on our website (www.lyonscf.org) for complete information about eligibility and submission requirements. All applications must be received by March 10, 2023 at 3:00pm. Hard copies of complete application forms and required documents may be returned to the counseling office of Lyons Senior High School or mailed to the Lyons Community Foundation, PO Box 546, Lyons Co, 80540. The scholarships may be used at any accredited post-secondary education program in the country or as otherwise noted for each scholarship. Students must be accepted to or have acceptance pending at their prospective school(s) when they submit their applications. Lyons Community Foundation Mission Scholarship. One scholarship up to $5,000 offered by the Lyons Community Foundation, will recognize any graduating senior from Lyons Senior High School, a graduating senior living in the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) attending a different high school, or home schooled student from the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) who embodies the LCF's mission of improving the quality of life, building a culture of giving, and encourage positive change for the greater Lyons area. 2021 Lyons Community Foundation 2-Year Study Scholarship. One $2000 scholarship offered by the Lyons Community Foundation, will recognize any graduating senior from Lyons Senior High School, a graduating senior living in the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) attending a different high school, or home schooled student from the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) who plans to attend a two-year program at college / university, trade school or other technical / vocational training. The scholarship will recognize a student who embodies the LCF’s mission of improving the quality of life, building a culture of giving, and encourage positive change for the greater Lyons area. Uncle Louis “Bud” Winkler Memorial Scholarship. Honoring the memory of businessman Louis Winkler, one $1000 scholarship is available to any graduating senior from Lyons Senior High School, a graduating senior living in the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) attending a different high school, or home schooled student from the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) who has at least a 3.0 GPA and plans on majoring in business or finance. Janet Orback Memorial Scholarship. Established in 2018, this scholarship (up to $5,000) honors the memory of lifelong Lyons resident Janet Orback, who along with her husband Dave, tirelessly helped to provide support and friendship to her neighbors whose homes and lives were destroyed in the 2013 floods, as well as being stewards of the Lyons Cemetery for over 15 years. Recipients of the Janet Orback Memorial Scholarship must be a graduating senior from Lyons Senior High School with a minimum 2.5 GPA, and be active participants in the community, and show a commitment to caring for the environment. Lyons area homeschooled students who participate in Lyons Senior High School through sports and/or academics are also eligible. Gerald Boland Memorial Scholarships. Honoring the memory of Gerald Boland, a 54 year resident of Lyons who taught in Lyons Schools for 31 years. He was a coach, Boy Scout Leader, and mentor who had a passion for learning and the outdoors. One $1000 scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior who shares these passions. Eligible students must attend Lyons Senior High School and have at least a 3.0 GPA. Lyons Community Foundation Scholarships in Memory of Steve Ralston. Created in 2009 to honor the memory of Lyons resident, businessman, and community supporter Steve Ralston. One scholarship (up to $5,000) will be awarded to a graduating senior who best expresses their passion for learning and sharing one’s interests, skills and joyful life experiences with their community. Eligible students include any graduating senior from Lyons Senior High School, a graduating senior living in the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) attending a different high school, or home schooled student from the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code). CEMEX Environmental Stewardship Scholarship. Created in 2023, the $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a Lyons high school graduating senior who best stewards natural resources in the community and beyond. The candidate may pursue studies in natural resources, engineering, wildlife biology or geology. Lyons Garden Club Scholarship. Created in 2023, the $1,500 scholarship will be awarded to a student interested in pursuing a career in horticulture or a related field. Eligible students include any graduating senior from Lyons Senior High School, a graduating senior living in the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code) attending a different high school, or home schooled student from the greater Lyons area (80540 zip code). If you have any questions about the scholarships, inquiries can be directed by email to scholarship@lyonscf.org. All applications are reviewed and kept confidential by a committee consisting of Lyons area community members. The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) is thrilled to announce the 2022 Community Support Grant Awards. Each fall, Lyons-area nonprofit organizations apply for grants that will support the work they plan to do in the year to come. As a community foundation, LCF’s work consists of raising money to support a diverse range of projects and populations in the greater Lyons area. By offering a centralized source for fundraising, nonprofits can focus on their projects. The grant review committee, a nominated group of area citizens, meets to analyze grant applications and award those whose intent aligns with LCF’s mission to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving and encourage positive change in the greater Lyons area. Since LCF’s inception in 2008, over half a million dollars has been raised to support local initiatives that either build Community Connectivity, provide Human Services, invest in our Youth or support Local Ecology initiatives. This year, the LCF Advisory Board approved more than $50,000 in grants to 17 separate projects representing these four different focus areas. 52% of all grants awarded will help to connect the community while 39% of all grants awarded will help to provide human services in Lyons. The following is a brief description of the projects awarded this year. The Lyons Community Foundation has invested in Human Services since 2008. Even before the creation of the Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund (LEAF) in 2014, LCF supported the food pantry and the Basic Needs and Emergency Fund when they were ministries of the Lyons Community Church. For the fourth year in a row, LEAF is the biggest recipient of grant funding with a total of $18,500 awarded for all five of their programs: Lyons Community Food Pantry, Basic Needs and Resource Matching, Meals on Wheels, Mental Wellness & Addiction Recovery and Lyons Volunteers. The Town of Lyons was also awarded $1,100 for Senior Programming. As a community foundation, LCF has sought to connect the community in more ways than one. Since 2013, LCF has funded many popular programs that the town of Lyons organizes yearly such as the Parade of Lights and the Sandstone Concert Series. Next year, the Town of Lyons will be bringing back the Winter Wonderland Series, which takes place in January/February in Lavern Johnson Park. LCF has awarded over $10,000 for this community programming. In total, the Town of Lyons will receive $17,262 in grant funding from LCF. The Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission (LAHC) has been a Community Grant recipient since 2009. In all, LCF has awarded close to $48,000 to support public art in the streets of Lyons. The Creative Outlets program began in 2019 when the LAHC launched Lyons’ first utility box-painting program To date, the LAHC has completed four utility boxes through this program. You might have noticed the new one in Bohn Park this past summer. For each box, commissioned artists receive a $1,000 stipend for their work and supplies. What a great way to bring beauty to unexpected places, by adding color and interesting designs to utility boxes throughout town. The heARTS Outdoor Art program began in 2017. Leased pieces are on a two-year display period schedule and include a $750 honorarium for artists. Residents and tourists can tour 31 works of art, set up around Lyons, by downloading the Clio App at https://theclio.com/tour/1091. The Lyons Community Foundation is excited to support a newly formed non-profit organization in Lyons, called Lyons Creates. By awarding funding for staffing, LCF is supporting the development of a Creative District in Lyons. As for local ecology efforts, LCF has awarded $1,500 to Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens Books for the publication of an educational and informational brochure. Finally, LCF continues to invest in our youth, not only through the scholarship program but also through its community support grant program. A $500 grant has been awarded to the Lyons High School After Prom program (for the sixth year in a row) in order to support a safe, sober, supervised activity for high school students. The St.Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation has also been awarded a grant of $2,350 for local teachers who would like to apply to their Teacher Innovation Grant Program. Grant applications received totaled $57,838. While LCF would like to provide funding for many more projects and scholarships, increased investment by local individuals is necessary. We are asking all residents to consider LCF in their year-end giving by making an online donation to the foundation at www.lyonscf.org. If you prefer to send a check, please watch for our annual appeal holiday card that should arrive in your mailbox anytime.   LCF's 2022 Grant Recipients (from left to right):
Front row: Lory Barton, Executive Director of LEAF, Crystal DeCoster and Betsy Burton (Lyons Creates), Monique Sawyer-Lang and Baiba Lennard (Lyons Redstone Museum) Back row: Michelle Phelan (St.Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation), Audra Felt (Lions Booster Club), Regan Bullers (SEED Seminar Project), Jessie and Garima Fairfax (Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens), Mayor Hollie Rogin (Town of Lyons), Melinda Wunder (LAHC), Janaki Jane (Wide Spaces Community Initiative), Lisa Ramsey (Town of Lyons) In August of this year, an anonymous donor presented the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) with an incredible opportunity: a matching grant campaign! The donor offered to match any and all donations to LCF, up to $10,000, before the end of October. Halfway to our goal, Planet Bluegrass jumped in to match an additional $10,000 dollars, if we reached our initial goal. Paired with the support from our anonymous donor, this raised our fundraising potential for this campaign to $30,000 dollars! As of October 11th, LCF has reached and exceeded our initial goal of raising $10,000, therefore unlocking both $10,000 matching grants. The LCF Advisory Board is incredibly grateful for the 30+ donors who donated amounts ranging from $5.00 to $2,500 to make this happen. As one of the donors, Gail Frankfort, said when she presented her check to LCF, "I love my town. I've never had a 'love affair' with a town until I moved to Lyons. It's like no other town I have lived in. It offers such a great variety of cultural, artistic, social, educational, and recreational activities, most free of charge to me and all Lyons area residents. I want this Lyons experience to continue! I'm doing my part to ensure that happens by supporting the Lyons Community Foundation. And, now is the perfect time to do so as my contribution will be matched by some generous Lyons residents." Another donor, David Hamrick, stated, "LCF is one of the many things that makes Lyons a great place to live. A donation to LCF keeps the money here in town to help support local residents, the arts, and provide student scholarships. My family thoroughly enjoys the summer Sandstone concerts and they are a great way to spend a summer evening. Due to the matching gift of generous Lyons' donors, donating now has triple the impact, making this a perfect time to donate to LCF." Thanks to the many generous residents who responded when asked to contribute to this campaign, LCF can allocate money to future community projects. In the end, it's the greater Lyons community and its residents who will benefit. We cannot think of a better reason to live where we do. THANK YOU to all who participated in our matching grant campaign! 
What a spectacular way to celebrate the end of summer! Two of Lyons non-profit organizations, the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) and the Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) came together for a second year in a row to organize a community event like no other. The Hootenanny is considered “quintessential Lyons” with live music, cornhole, dance, a duck race, a silent auction, food trucks and a kidspace not to mention a well stocked bar. Many local families and visitors attended this community event at River Bend. The crowd grew as we got closer to the main act: Daniel Rodriguez and friends. You may know Charlie Rose and Ian Brighton as your neighbors. The setting for the live music was incredible as people sat on the stone patio, by the river, to listen to these talented musicians. We were very lucky that Daniel Rodriguez took time out from touring with the Lumineers this summer to come play at this charity event. All people had to do was pivot around to see Mayama’s Dance Team perform their latest choreography. The Junior Dance Team showed us their contemporary dance number while the Senior Dance Team performed their hip hop number. Afterward, everyone was invited to learn how to dance the electric slide. Such fun!! After live music and dance, it was time to head down to the river for the duck race. Thanks to the Lyons Leos, all 500 ducks had sold out by 3:30pm. Next year, the steering committee will be sure to order more ducks. At approximately 5:30pm, the Lyons Firefighters dumped the ducks off of the bridge on Highway 36. It only took five minutes for the first duck to make its way past the finish line. Congratulations to Josh Edmondson, Susan Knight and Sara Hayes for placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd respectively. Throughout the afternoon, a cornhole tournament played out. After the final winners were determined, many kids and families stepped up to try their hand at throwing the beanbag of corn. Congratulations to Brian Gantzer and partner for taking 1st place! The kid space got moved to a new location this year, which parents appreciated as they could keep an eye on their children while listening to music and watching the cornhole tournament. Thank you to Rainbow Lightening for setting up such a whimsical space for children to play. The main revenue generator was by far the silent auction. Many local businesses and individuals donated a total of 72 items totaling almost $20,000. Most items sold at 83% of market value, which is quite astounding. Happy winners went home with some really cool takeaway items, gift cards to local restaurants and/or gift certificates for some exciting experiences. The 2022 Hootenanny steering committee would like to thank all sponsors as their financial contributions made this event accessible to all. Lyons second annual Hootenanny was a hootin’ success raising almost $33,000 that will be split evenly between LCF and LEAF. This event was made possible with the help of many volunteers including the Lyons Volunteers, the Lyons Leos, the Lyons firefighters, past and current board members and so many others. We thank you for coming out and sharing our love for this community. Thanks to Betsy Burton and Mike Whipp, the Hootenanny is on the calendar for the next five years. To quote Robyn Sloan, “Don’t you just love this town?  Daniel Rodriguez and friends entertaining the crowd at River Bend with some songs from his album “Sojourn of a Burning Sun”.  Lyons Leos scooping up the first ducks to arrive at the finish line. Congratulations to Josh Edmondson, Susan Knight and Sara Hayes for placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd respectively.  Mayama Dance Team members teach spectators the electric slide.
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AuthorLyons Community Foundation Archives
April 2023
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