I’m inspiring nonprofits to let people know how their activities played out. We often participate in a “thing” where a winner is going to be rewarded. We give our money but we never know who the winner is in the end. The next year the same thing rolls around and we ask about last year’s winner but by then, people don’t remember who that winner was. I wish there was a website like the Colorado lottery where I could go ten months from now, name the Teller County contest I entered and find out who won. I bet you would like the same thing. If you are a web developer, make something like this happen!

The Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration was a fun day and I can tell you who the winners were. HtN Hope Lives Here and John Wesley Ranch each received $2,713.38 for their efforts in putting the event together. Also, local print media received $1,342.78 to market our fair city and its 4th of July vendors. $120 was given out to winners of the sack races and watermelon eating contests (I don’t know all of the winners’ names but there were twenty-four of them!). Lots of kids got things during the Fishing Derby sponsored by Mountain Memorial Funeral Home, which gave out over $1,000 in prizes. The 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament hosted by Gary Lays, same thing, Gary gave out prizes and t-shirts.

Winners don’t always want to be known but if I win the lottery, you’ll know because I’m inspired to give back locally to the winners who regularly give of themselves. Kathleen Clifton is one of those people. She helps the Mountain Artists provide art scholarships to students. She also appreciates people and the things they do for her. Do you know Doloretta Barber? She unselfishly gives of herself too. She even won the award for Volunteer of the Year with Teller County Cares but then there was no ceremony because COVID cancelled everything. The last time I spoke with her she still hadn’t been acknowledged, which is disappointing to say the least. The other person I’d give back to as soon as I cashed my lottery check would be Lee Taylor. I know he’d do well in distributing my lottery winnings. After all, he is a financial advisor but he’s also involved with numerous nonprofits in the area.

For now, I am happy to announce the winners of the Best of Teller in the nonprofit category: Gold — Storehouse Ministries; Silver — Teller Senior Coalition; and Bronze — Community Partnership Family Resource Center. You are all doing great things for the community that I am proud to call home. Congratulations for winning!

Gayle Gross works with nonprofits through SOAR’s Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. at Reserve Our Gallery in Woodland Park. 2023 brings back collaborative fundraising events for nonprofits in the area through coordination of community events with SOAR. Contact Gayle Gross at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org to be part of a Teller Give Back column. You can also email or call 719-233-9902 to learn more Collaborative Fundraising Events.

Gayle Gross