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The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) and Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund (LEAF) are teaming together for a second year to bring you a fun-filled family-friendly event. The end of summer Hootenanny at River Bend is set for Sunday, August 28th from 2pm to 7pm. There will be something for everyone: live music, kids zone, dance performance, silent auction, cornhole tournament and the ever popular rubber ducky race. I cannot think of a better way to support two of my favorite non-profit organizations in town. Since LEAF has had difficulty sourcing food for Lyons Community Food Pantry, it would be greatly appreciated if you could bring one or more of the following food items to donate: sliced bread, condiments (ketchup, pickles, jam, jelly, honey, mustard, mayo, etc), cereal, snacks (crackers, chips, fruit snacks, etc), tomato products (tomato sauce, paste, pasta sauce, etc), canned meals like ravioli, stew, soup (but not chicken noodle!). LEAF’s van will be parked outside the entrance. Feel free to drop by donations as you enter the event space. The Hootenanny will feature live music from Daniel Rodriguez and friends. You may know this singer-songwriter as he is based in Lyons. He was a founding member of the band Elephant Revival. Rumor has it that Dan is currently on tour with the Lumineers. Boulder Weekly refers to Rodriguez’s voice as “A timeless voice, deep and hearty, weathered but comforting.” We are very grateful that he has accepted to entertain us from 3-4:30pm. Perfect for a Lyons Hootenanny! In addition to musical entertainment, we will feature two dance performances by Lyons’ very own Mayama Dance Company. We always look forward to seeing what the fantastic local dance company has in store. Besides, they will show us some moves to try out. So, be sure to wear your dancing shoes or cowboy boots. They will be performing from 4:45pm to 5:15pm. For the kiddos, we’ll have a wonderful children’s area designed and presented by Rainbow Lightning Productions, whose mission is to keep the inner child inspired. This nonprofit based out of Crestone, Colorado creates playscapes and activities where kids can have an exploratory and fun experience. Colorado Fairy Hair will pay us a visit from 2-5pm for all of you who are looking to add a little sparkle to your hair. The rubber duck race will take place at 5:30pm when we will be dropping the ducks in the river from the bridge on Highway 36. Watching the ducks float down the river is so much fun! You can still sign up for your duck numbers at the Sandstone concerts on Wednesday, August 17th and 24th. You can also register the day of the Hootenanny from 2-5pm at the LEAF tent. The cost per ducky is $5. A raft of ducks cost $20 for five. The cash prize for 1st place is $100, 2nd place is $50, and 3rd place is $25. There will also be a cornhole tournament for cornhole lovers of all ages. We are offering a $100 cash prize for the winners of the Cornhole tournament. That’s right, there’ll be a cornhole tournament with help from Longmont’s former Cornhole Champion! Teams of two can sign up at the LEAF booth at the Hootenanny. The tournament will start at 3pm. Plan to get there early to participate. The cost is $20 per team of two. Since this is a fundraiser, we are planning a silent auction, too. We will be featuring chances to win mountain getaways, a local staycation or a stay in a lovely Mexican casa near the ocean. We will offer all kinds of services from oil changes to massages to estate planning. We will also have local art, concert tickets, dinners, airplane rides and more! Come to the Hootenanny to shop and check out an awesome way to take away something for yourself while supporting LEAF and LCF. But wait, there’s more! What if you get hungry or thirsty? There will be three food trucks at the Hootenanny, with a variety of food for sale. McDevitt Tacos will have a variety of tacos on offer, including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan choices. For you seafood fans, check out The Rollin’ Lobster, with lobster, crab cakes, and whoopie pie. For dessert, you can also indulge in ice cream treats from Sweet Cow. Yes, the MooMobile will be at the Hootenanny, dishing out your favorite flavors like Ozo coffee and chocolate chip cookie dough in cups, cones, or ice cream sammies. Ah, but you’ve worked up a mighty thirst with all this activity, so we will have a choice of beverages for purchase, including wine, Oskar Blues beer and hard seltzer or Spirit Hound vodka lemonade to quench your thirst on the last of these summer days by the river. We want to thank all the sponsors of the event who are helping to pay for the overhead costs. We appreciate your generosity. If you bring a motorized vehicle, we are asking for $5 for parking. Please leave your furry friends at home. Come out and have some fun and help those in need at the same time. It’s definitely a win-win at the Hootenanny! 
The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) is proud to support the young people of Lyons as they continue their journeys into higher education. Scholarships such as those endowed by generous families in our community act to give students some well deserved support to undertake the many challenges of going to college and beginning their careers. Scholarships are also excellent indicators of the hard work and dedication to future success that these young people have displayed. LCF began offering scholarships to Lyons area graduating seniors in 2009 with a single $500 scholarship. This year, the LCF awarded $7500 in scholarships to six Lyons area graduating seniors. To date, $72,000 in scholarship funds have been awarded to 70 college bound students. The LCF Scholarship Review Committee is composed of local residents committed to supporting our young people with their goals. To that end, they reviewed, in detail, all student applications and met to discuss and confirm the award recipients. Families who contribute to individual scholarships also provided their input on the selection of scholarship recipients. We look forward to continuing and hopefully expanding our support of local graduating students through future scholarships. If you are interested in creating a scholarship in memory of someone, please visit our website at https://www.lyonscf.org/how-to-create-a-scholarship or email LCF at info@lyonscf.org. Each of these outstanding young people have distinct voices and unique stories to tell. The Scholarship Review Committee members are certain that their journeys and achievements will touch many lives and bring much happiness. We were impressed by the high standards and achievements of all of the applicants for scholarships. The Lyons Community Foundation exists to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving, and encourage positive change for the Greater Lyons Area. The attributes of the LCF mission statement can be found in all the recipients for this year’s scholarships. This speaks highly of the dedication and hard work of not only these students and their parents but all the teachers and staff along the way. Established in 2020, the Lyons Community Foundation Mission Scholarship recognizes students who embody the LCF's mission of improving the quality of life, building a culture of giving, and encouraging positive change for the greater Lyons area. The 2022 Lyons Community Foundation Mission Scholarship was awarded to Kasey Knapp (Lyons HS). Kasey will be attending Oregon State University where she will major in Psychology. Established in 2009, the Lyons Community Foundation Scholarship in Memory of Steve Ralston honors Lyons resident and business owner Steve Ralston and is awarded to a student who best expresses their passion for learning and sharing one’s interests, skills, and joyful life experiences with their community. Cassidy Jennings Batts (Lyons HS) is the 2022 recipient. She will be studying Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Established in 2014, the Gerald Boland Memorial Scholarship recognizes a student who demonstrates a passion for learning and for their community. Gerald Boland died during the September 2013 flood near his home in Lyons. He taught in Lyons for 31 years, 5 years at the high school and 26 years at the elementary school. He served as a mentor to many of Lyons youth as a basketball coach for 23 years and as a Boy Scout Leader. His dedication to the Lyons community was just as unwavering as his dedication to education. Arjen Wynja (Lyons HS), recipient of the 2022 Gerald Boland Memorial Scholarship, will be majoring in Music Education at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Established in 2016, the Uncle Louis “Bud” Winkler Memorial Scholarship was made possible by an endowment from a local Lyons resident to honor the memory of his Uncle Louis who helped put him through college. The 2022 recipient of the Uncle Louis “Bud” Winkler Scholarship is Gage Basey (Lyons HS). Gage has enrolled in the Honors program in the Leads School of Business with an emphasis in entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Established in 2018, the Janet Orback Memorial Scholarship 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 are active participants in the community, and show a commitment to caring for the environment. The 2022 recipient is Gylian Hay. She will be majoring in International Affairs at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Established in 2020, the Lyons Community Foundation 2-Year Study Scholarship was made possible by a donor-advised fund from a local Lyons couple. This scholarship recognizes any graduating senior who plans to attend a two-year program at college/university, trade school or other technical/vocational training. Recipients of this scholarship embody LCF’s mission of improving the quality of life, building a culture of giving, and encouraging positive change for the greater Lyons area. The 2022 recipient of LCF's 2-year study scholarship, Issac Tostanoski, plans on studying architecture at Paradise Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lyons Community Foundation is proud of the accomplishments of these six students, as well as the accomplishments of all the students who applied for the scholarships. These scholarships are made possible through the generous donations of the Lyons community. If you would like to support the scholarship program and help a student achieve their dream of a college education, your contributions are greatly appreciated. To donate to any of these scholarships, please go to www.lyonscf.org/donate.html, click on DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND and indicate if you would like your support applied in memory of Steve Ralston, Gerald Boland, Janet Orback, or the General Scholarship Fund. Donations may also be mailed to the Lyons Community Foundation, PO Box 546, Lyons, Colorado 80540.  This photo was taken at the Awards Ceremony at Lyons Middle/Senior High School on May 11th.
Left to right: LCF Scholarship Committee Chair Gwydion Winklemeyer, LCF Chair Jeanne Moore, LCF Marketing and Communications Associate Tanya Mercer-Daty, LCF Scholarship Recipients Gage Basey, Kasey Knapp, Arjen Wynja, Issac Tostanoski, Gylian Hay and Cassidy Jennings Batts Spring has sprung and the temperatures are increasing day by day. With school letting out for summer holidays in just a couple of weeks, it feels like summer is just around the corner! I cannot think of a better way to start summertime fun than with an outdoor artisan market and BBQ cook-off, followed by the Sandstone Concert Series. Thanks to a Community Support Grant from the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF), and a partnership with the Town Of Lyons, Lyons residents will be able to enjoy ten weekly concerts in Sandstone Park this summer and an Artisan Market/BBQ in June. For the first time, last year, an outdoor Artisan market was held in Bohn Park. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 4th from 10am-4pm. LCF will be proudly serving their very popular root beer floats, with ice cream donated by the Lyons Dairy Bar. In addition, one of their board members, Gwyd Winkelmeyer, has offered to round up a few local BBQ grillmasters to produce a plate of crispy turkey legs, juicy beef brisket and tender pulled pork. Sampler plates will showcase a variety of mouth-watering flavors such as habanero, smoked and mole for a suggested donation of $10. Luckily, Oskar Blues has donated some craft beer to wash down all of this yumminess. Be sure to come by the pavilion in Bohn Park to try a sampler plate between 11am-2pm or before supplies run out. Of course, we cannot hold an all-day outdoor event in Lyons without some live music. Thanks to another LCF Community Support Grant for the Artisan Market, the Town of Lyons was able to book Jake Leg from 12pm-2pm. So, you might want to mosey on over to Bohn Park around noon for some BBQ, beer, a root beer float, and live music before checking out all of the vendors’ wares. Word on the street is that there will be quite a selection of goods! The week following the Artisan Market will be the kickoff to the Sandstone Concert Series on Wednesday, June 8th and will feature the Joe Kuckla Band. Concerts featuring local musicians will take place every Wednesday from June 8th-August 10th, starting at 6:30pm in Sandstone Park. LCF will have a booth set up with pop corn, baked goods and beverages available for donations. These concerts are some of our favorite times to connect with friends and neighbors in a relaxed atmosphere. Bring your family for this FREE family-friendly concert series. We look forward to seeing you there. Finally, please save the date for another FREE family-friendly event; the 2nd annual Hootenanny, coordinated by LCF and LEAF at River Bend on Sunday, August 28th from 2pm-7pm. Some favorites will be back for a day of family fun: cornhole tournament, dancing with Mayama, duck race, family fun zone, live music and a silent auction. Mark your calendars so as not to miss out! If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Tanya Daty at tanya@lyonscf.org.  LCF Board members and volunteers will be happy to serve you a refreshing root beer float from 10am-4pm on Saturday, June 4th. You can find them at the LCF booth, near the pavilion where the cook off will take place from 11am-2pm.
Whether you are new to Lyons or a descendant of the original pioneer families, you probably know someone, a friend or neighbor who reminds you why Lyons is such a wonderful place to live. Personally, I have never lived in a community where so many of its residents seem to give back in one way or another. Lyons is full of local heroes. Monica McGuckin is one of mine. If you were living in Lyons in 2011-2013, you may remember Monica McGuckin owned the Lyons Mercantile on Main Street. At the time, she was also chairperson of the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF). Monica and her husband, Ron are always helping their community from behind the scenes whether it is a tenant or a church in need of new windows. When Monica learned that there were over 1,000 beanie babies available, she crammed two loads of them into her SUV to transport them from the collector’s home in Denver to her garage on Apple Valley Road. From that moment, she knew that this collection of beanie babies had value and that she could donate them to her favorite local charity, the Lyons Community Foundation. After calling current Chair, Jeanne Moore to discuss her plan to take “suggested donations” at multiple locations and events around Lyons, it became evident that they could include the entire community and build awareness for the good work LCF does. With a “suggested donation” of $10 for these bundles of cuteness, LCF could potentially bring in $10,000 in 2022. Chrystal DeCoster, past LCF board member and owner of Western Stars Gallery & Studio was the first person to sign up to consign the beanie babies on behalf of LCF. Since she already kept a secret stash of beanie babies at her shop, she knew that there was a growing demand for these cuties from people of all ages. By supporting LCF with a $10 donation, buying a beanie baby is an easy way to teach children to give back to their community at an early age, all the while, supplying their friends with a birthday gift or simply adding to their growing collection. Monica and Chrystal agreed that bringing shoppers into local stores looking for beanie babies would be a “positive marketing” plan. It also demonstrates how local businesses support their community through LCF. Several local businesses readily agreed to Monica’s plan: Uniquely Lyons, Red Canyon Art, HJB Designs, Sage and Grace Botanicals and Western Stars all have beanie babies available in their stores. Currently, Red Canyon Art, Uniquely Lyons and Western Stars Gallery & Studio have Easter-themed beanie babies to fill your child’s Easter basket. LCF will also have some on hand at the concession stand in Lavern Johnson Park on Saturday, April 16th from 10am-12pm during the Calvary Foothills Church Easter Egg Hunt. Come join us for some family-friendly fun in the park! Do not fret if you miss the Easter-themed beanie babies, there will be more for Graduation Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Halloween, Christmas, etc. LCF will be sure to have some on hand at community events such as the Artisan Market on June 4th and at the Sandstone Concert Series every Wednesday evening this summer. If you are a collector and you are looking for one in particular, please reach out to LCF at info@lyonscf.org.  When current LCF Chair, Jeanne Moore (on left) tried to thank past LCF Chair, Monica McGuckin (on right) for her fundraising efforts, Monica replied, “It’s not about me. It’s about inspiring other people to give back to the community. It’s a team effort.” Indeed, it is. Thank you Monica for inspiring all of us to give back.
Spring is right around the corner. Can you feel it? At the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF), March is Monthly Donors Appreciation Month. We realize that without our monthly donors, we would not be able to depend on a reliable and stable income in order to fund the Community Support Grants or the Scholarship Fund. In 2021, LCF granted $37,000 in grants to a variety of projects which either connect the community, provide human services, invest in our youth or support local ecology. Another $7,500 was awarded to six graduating high school seniors so that they could further their education at a post-secondary institution. Monthly donors literally build their community, which is why we affectionately refer to them as community builders. The COVID-19 pandemic caught us all by surprise. LCF’s 2020 annual budget depended on the spring fundraiser, “A Color Run”, which was canceled. Thankfully, our generous donors pulled through when the Lyons Share Fund was created to help local businesses survive the two-month lockdown. In 2021, LCF partnered with LEAF to bring the first ever Hootenanny to Lyons. This family-friendly community event was appreciated by all, but in the end, proceeds were split between the two non-profit organizations. If it weren’t for our generous donors, LCF would not be able to fulfill their budgetary requirements. When the world seems to be in such chaos, it is easy to feel helpless. Isn’t it reassuring to know that we can still make a difference right here in our own backyard? For just $1/day or $30/month, you can help local projects get off the ground and send high school students to college. At LCF, we like to think that our monthly donors plant seeds that bloom all year long. Seeds like human services, community connectivity, youth investment and local ecology help grow our community into a bountiful garden of beautiful wildflowers. Now, who wouldn’t subscribe to that? “I choose to give monthly to LCF because as an Advisory Board member for five years I know how essential it is to be able to build an annual budget based on reliable and stable income. I love this community and believe in and admire all the wonderful folks who desire to improve the quality of life in the Lyons area through the thoughtful and meaningful work of their non profit organizations.” I’m proud to be a community builder!” Jeanne Moore, LCF Chairperson In the next month, you will receive a postcard in the mail which looks exactly like the one pictured below. If you enjoy live concerts in the park, the Holiday Parade of Lights, local history, beautiful gardens, educational opportunities for your children, public art, human services, etc., then we ask that you consider becoming an LCF Community Builder. If you are interested and are able to give back to this amazing community, please visit our website to set up a monthly contribution at www.lyonscf.org. Community members are always encouraged to get involved with the Lyons Community Foundation. If you are new to town, this is a great way to meet new people. You can either volunteer on one of LCF’s committees OR you can become an Advisory Board member. To find out more, please visit our website at www.lyonscf.org. You can also drop us an email at info@lyonscf.org. We would love to hear from you!  The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) was established in 2007 when several area residents saw the need for a locally based philanthropy and began the hard work of setting up the Lyons Community Foundation, under the umbrella of The Community Foundation of Boulder County (TCF). As stated in last month’s issue of the Redstone Review, LCF remains one of TCF’s funds. The reasons for having a local-based nonprofit include the ability to address the unique needs of a small and diverse community. There are projects that otherwise could not occur given the budget and constraints of a small town. Also, it gives local businesses and individuals a go-to centralized resource to help and enhance their community. At no time was the need for a local foundation more critical than during the flood. Thanks to LCF’s existence, 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 (SVM). 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. As a community foundation, our main purpose is to inspire philanthropy within the community 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 projects. Last year, LCF was able to grant a total of $44,500 to 15 community projects and six graduating high school students. Thanks to LCF’s Community Support Grants, local non-profits received $37,000 in 2021 to put towards 15 separate projects which focus on four key areas: Community Connectivity, Human Services, Youth Investment and Local Ecology. Thanks to LCF’s Scholarship Fund, six graduating high school seniors received a scholarship ranging from $500-$2000 to attend a post-secondary institution.  Thanks to the community’s support during our first ever Hootenanny and our Community Builder/Annual Appeal Campaign, the Lyons Community Foundation had a better year than anticipated in 2021. This year, LCF will be partnering once again with LEAF and River Bend to bring you this FUN family friendly event on Sunday, August 28th, 2022. LCF is happy to partner with the Town of Lyons at local events by participating in the Winter Wonderland Concert Series (February 26th), the Sandstone Concert Series (Thursday evenings in the Summer) as well as the Parade of Lights (December 3rd) and the Artisan Market (June 11th). We are also looking forward to partnering with Gemini Adventures to bring you the first annual Lucky Lyons 5k and 10k run on March 12th, 2022. Please visit geminiadventures.com/lyons-race to register or volunteer.
Community members are encouraged to get involved with the Lyons Community Foundation. You can either become a Community Builder by donating monthly to LCF OR you can volunteer on one of LCF’s committees OR you can become an Advisory board member. To find out more, please visit our website at www.lyonscf.org. You can also drop us an email at info@lyonscf.org. We would love to hear from you! As we navigated the second year living with a pandemic in our midst, the Omicron COVID-19 variant hit and almost every family knew someone who had to quarantine over the holidays due to a positive test. Then, on December 30th, 2021 the most destructive wildfire in the state's history, the Marshall fire, destroyed nearly 1,000 homes in Boulder County. Our community knows what it is like to suffer such devastation and loss. Back in 2013, Lyons and the surrounding area experienced an historic flood, which resulted in one life lost and 10% of our population left homeless. Some of our residents were never able to rebuild. Seven and a half years later, Lyons is still recovering from the flood. We look forward to the final bridge (4th avenue) being replaced and connecting downtown Lyons to the confluence area. The day of the wildfire, our thoughts and prayers immediately went to our friends and neighbors in Louisville and Superior who watched as their homes and their neighborhoods went up in flames. We know the challenges that lie ahead for the victims of the wildfire and are grateful that non-profit organizations like the Community Foundation of Boulder County (TCF) and the Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) exist to help us build back better and stronger. In less than two weeks, nearly $19.5 million was raised to support our friends and neighbors through the Boulder County Wildfire Fund. As Tatiana Hernandez, CEO of The Community Foundation stated “Our community has, as it always does, shown up for each other in an enormous way after an unimaginable crisis”. Lyons felt this same support in 2013 when an outpouring of donations were channeled into LCF’s Rebuild Lyons Fund. This fund raised over $1 million dollars and was able to help flood victims financially by putting money directly in their hands. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Lyons Community Foundation created the Lyons Share Fund which raised and distributed $43,000 to local businesses and another $15,000 for individual grants. Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, the advisory boards of these organizations are able to act quickly and disburse funds when the need arises. The central purpose of the community foundation is to serve the needs and philanthropic aims of donors who wish to better their community, now and in the future. As Boulder County's trusted philanthropic partner for over 30 years, the Community Foundation of Boulder County has shown the importance of deep local relationships in meeting short and long-term community needs in a crisis with equity, transparency, and integrity. When the Lyons Community Foundation became a fund of the Community Foundation in 2008, we were able to tap into this experience. The Lyons Community Foundation has grown from a small grassroots group to a well organized community foundation made up of an advisory board and a part-time employee. Two important funds, the Community Support Grants and the Scholarship Fund allow us to support the needs of the community in areas such as arts, education, civic affairs, ecology, human services and basic needs. All residents benefit from the art sculptures sprinkled around town, the events that bring us together, the gardens that bloom and the wellness provided by human services. We are immensely grateful for the many generous residents who showed their appreciation for our work in the community by donating over $43,000 through their monthly and end of year giving. We need all of YOU so that we can further our mission of improving the quality of life, and encouraging positive change in the greater Lyons area. We also need community members to participate on our committees such as Fundraising, Community Outreach, Grants Review, Scholarship Review, as well as Marketing and Communications. This is an excellent way to give back to the community and meet new people. Please visit our website at lyonscf.org/volunteer to sign up. We approach this new year with hope that the health and economic crisis will end, and our community will connect in kindness, compassion and joy! Happy New Year to all! Advisory Board Members: Jeanne Moore, Gail Frankfurt, Claudia Kean, Ravi Gandh, Kate Schnepel, Ella Levy, Gil Sparks, Sara Erickson, Gwyd Winkelmeyer Communications and Marketing Associate: Tanya Daty 
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AuthorLyons Community Foundation Archives
April 2023
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