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Routt County United Way tops $10K goal

Fundraising event brings nonprofit closer to $500,000 goal

Jack Weinstein
Greyson Beattie
John F. Russell

How to help

To volunteer for the Community Thanks­­giving Dinner or to be referred opportunities through the Yampa Valley Volunteer Coordination Center, call 970-879-5605 or visit http://www.routtcountyunitedway.org.

How to help

To volunteer for the Community Thanks­­giving Dinner or to be referred opportunities through the Yampa Valley Volunteer Coordination Center, call 970-879-5605 or visit http://www.routtcountyunitedway.org.

— Routt County United Way might need a new name for its $10K fundraising days.

Wednesday’s $10K Day for United Way resulted in $42,667 in donations. That’s before adding Yampa Valley Bank’s $5,000 match, which brought the total to $47,667, a record.



“We just can’t believe it,” Routt County United Way Executive Director Kelly Stanford said. “It’s incredible the way people have responded. … I think it speaks a lot to the generosity of the community. I think it shows people are responding to our efforts to communicate the need in Routt County. We didn’t have this expectation, so we’re thrilled.”

The first $10K Day for United Way this year, in September, raised $23,274 for a year-to-date total of $70,941. That outpaces last year’s two events by more than $30,000.



The $10K fundraising efforts are part of the United Way’s annual giving campaign, which ends Nov. 15. This year’s goal is $500,000, and Wednesday’s success brought donations to about $185,000.

Stanford said the United Way, which serves more than 40 local health and human service organizations, is on track to reach its goal, even though the campaign ends in less than two weeks. It started Sept. 15.

She said the United Way is near last year’s pace, when it raised $490,000, and is hopeful this year’s goal still is in reach. Stan­­ford said the United Way is waiting to receive contributions of employee giving campaigns from some of Steamboat’s larger employers.

PJ Wharton, the president and CEO of Yampa Valley Bank, said the bank provided the match for the $10K event because the need for services provided by the organizations that will receive the funding is greater than ever.

“From our perspective, it’s our opportunity to give back,” he said.

During the $10K Day for United Way, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue offered free car-seat checks and showed off a fire truck to children. The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association provided low-cost flu shots.

Steamboat resident Catherine Beattie, holding her son, Sheppard, and daughter, Athena, said her other son, 3-year-old Greyson, got to sit in the fire truck. But Beattie also said they attended the $10K event to support the United Way.

“They just do good things, and we want to support them,” she said. “It seems like Steamboat Sp­­rings always comes together for the United Way and other philanthropic groups, but this is a good one.”

Volunteer efforts

It’s been about six weeks since the United Way launched the Yampa Valley Volunteer Coor­dination Center, which also serves Moffat County. The center was created to match interested volunteers with area organizations.

Stanford said 19 Routt Coun­­­­­ty organizations and 16 in Mof­fat County have signed up. She said now all they need is the volunteers. People can sign up by indicating the type of organization they would like to volunteer for and when they’re available. The center will let interested volunteers know when an opportunity is available.

The Yampa Valley Volunteer Coordination Center also provides training for interested volunteers and organizations.

The United Way also is seeking about 100 volunteers to work two-hour shifts from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 25 for the annual Com­­munity Thanks­­giving Din­­ner. Stanford said the United Way needs volunteers to work kitchen shifts cooking as well as dining room shifts setting, serving and cleaning up. She said the organization also needs volunteers to bring prepared food.

Last year, more than 600 plates were served, and Stanford expects a similar turnout this year. Anyone can attend the free dinner.

To volunteer for the Com­munity Thanksgiving Dinner or to be referred to opportunities through the Yampa Valley Volunteer Coordination Center, call 970-879-5605 or visit http://www.routtcountyunitedway.org.


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