Girl Scouts Make Gift Baskets For Imagine!’s Children’s Foster Care Program

All the children in Imagine!'s Innovations for Children's foster care program had a wonderful surprise this spring thanks to a local Girl Scout troop! The troop completed a community service project that involved all of the girls designing and then making spring time gift baskets for the foster children. The gifts baskets were composed of small gifts and boxes of Girl Scout cookies. The foster children who received the baskets were extremely thankful and excited, and the girl scouts reported that creating the baskets and being able to give to the kids was a great experience!

Pictured below with baskets to take to their foster children are Pema (left, in black) and Tenzing (in white); and Dhargay (left, in gray), and Yangchen (in blue).

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of recent donors to Imagine! includes:

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Michael Zimmerman

Supporter ($250-$499)
Anonymous


Friend ($1-$249)
Ball Corporation – Matching Gift to contribution by David Wilson
Barbara Farmer
Ina Gwin
Ron & Carolyn Hughes
Nancy Jelen – for the SmartHomes Project
In Memory of Maureen Kelly, “my son’s beloved speech language therapist, who was a gentle, supportive, brilliant therapist and a kind person . . .”
  From Elizabeth Lichtenstein
Melanee Krueger
Pat & Kurt Lindeman
Kathryn Lynott
Charles & Romy Purshouse
Dan & Sandra Stevens
James & DeDe Williams

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thanks, Whitney!

Today we’d like to say “thank you” and “good luck” to Whitney Blair, who resigned her position as President of Imagine!’s Board of Directors at last night’s monthly board meeting.

Whitney is leaving to pursue a fantastic job opportunity out of state, and we wish her all the best. But we will miss her greatly. Her passion for Imagine! and the people we serve is inspiring, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Her solid board leadership has kept Imagine! focused on our mission through challenging times, and we are deeply thankful for her commitment and hard work.

Thanks, Whitney, for all you have done for this organization!

Imagine! CEO Mark Emery and Whitney Blair

Thank You, Provider Fair Volunteers

Last week we made a post about Imagine!’s Provider Fair, held April 18. Today, we’d like to offer a special “thank you” to some of the volunteers who helped make the event such a success.

Pictured below from left to right are Lucy Williams from Imagine!, volunteers Alex Glade, Rhonda Hoffman, Vinnie Cervantes, Jennifer Kellond, Emily Crawford, Mike Gaisbauer, and Carla Rapp from Imagine!.

Susan Sahm and Marc Killinger also generously volunteered their time to help out at the Provider Fair, but are not pictured here.

Vinnie, Jennifer, Emily, and Mike are all from The GAP. Vinnie made a very generous donation of $200 to Imagine!, and The GAP matched that donation.

Thanks so much for your support!

Congratulations, David!

David Braddock speaks after being awarded the first ever
ANCOR Foundation President's Award

Congratulations are in order for David L. Braddock, a longtime supporter of Imagine!, for being honored as the recipient of the first ever ANCOR Foundation President's Award. The award recognizes a person whose contributions to the field of disabilities have uniquely led to leading practice and profound innovation. Presentation of the award was made at the 2013 ANCOR Conference: Because We All Matter on April 28, 2013 in Washington, DC.

David Braddock, Ph.D. is the Coleman-Turner Chair and Professor at Colorado University and the Executive Director of the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, with which ANCOR has been a partner for the past four years. He is the author of the important State of the States in Developmental Disabilities monograph series.

"Without David Braddock, our industry would not be where it is today," said Bill Tapp, president of the ANCOR Foundation. "It is very fitting that he receive this honor for his visionary leadership and tireless work toward ensuring the best policies and supports for people with disabilities."

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Blake & Joanna Buhlig

Friend ($1-$249)
Kathy Coyne
Invest in Others On Behalf of Alexis Kahn -- for Out & About
Jeffrey Lynch
John Satkowski
Michael Schwartz & Angela Marlino
Scott & Jeannette Sutton
B.Wray and Kathy Vaughn

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Imagine! Provider Fair A Big Success

More than 111 individuals and 58 providers attended the
2013 Imagine Provider Fair

Last Thursday, April 18, Imagine! hosted a Provider Fair, which proved to be an exciting opportunity to for families and individuals served by Imagine! to connect with providers and to learn about services available to them.

We wish to express our gratitude to all of the following:

• The 111 individuals who attended, comprising 76 families.
• The 58 providers that participated, including six Imagine! internal providers (see lists below).
• The generous providers, individuals, and companies that offered a total of 29 raffle prizes and gifts, which included: 1. An Imagine! client’s artwork, which was the special raffle prize for those who completed exit evaluations. 2. Another special raffle prize for those who signed up early was a $100 Target gift card, partially donated by Target. 3. Both the Colorado Aging and Disability Resource Center, Adult Resources for Care and Help (ARCH) and Vitamin Cottage donated reusable grocery bags. 4. King Soopers donated some of the refreshments. 5. Panera Bakery delivered meals for providers, staff, and volunteers at a discount.
• The five resource groups which participated: Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), Family Link, the Association for Community Living (ACL), the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services, and the Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA) – the Region Six Regional Care Collaborative Organization (RCCO).
• Eight superb volunteers, including four from The GAP, who helped enormously before and during the Provider Fair. We especially want to express our appreciation for the $200.00 check donated to Imagine! at the end of the event by The GAP employee Vinnie Cervantes, and also to The GAP, who have matched his donation.

The Providers present were:

*Abundant Health Chiropractic & Acupuncture LLC
Alliance of Therapy Specialists, Inc.
Amanda Bryant, MT-BC, NMT
Applied Behavior Consultants
*Armstrong Physical Therapy, LLC
Aspire Autism
*At Home Fitness
*Austin Chiropractic Center
Behavior Services of the Rockies
*Boulder Learning Co-op, LLC
*Calming Kids Yoga
Carmel Community Living Corporation
Center for People with Disabilities (CPWD)
City of Boulder Parks & Recreation Department/EXPAND Program
College Living Experience
*Community Advantage
Community Link
Crutcher Physical Therapy, LLC
Cynthia Shiko, OTR, CMT, LLC
David Kalis
Debra B. Fitzgibbons, LSCW
Deep River Healing Arts
Dreamcatcher Direct Instruction Centers
Elizabeth Matthews
*Equinox Counseling and Wellness Center
Flatirons Naturopathic Clinic
*FLO Kneads Inc.
FRIENDS of Broomfield, Inc.
*Front Range Hippotherapy
Goldstar Learning Options
Help-Autism.com
Ignite Adaptive Sports at Eldora Mountain Resort
Jon Garson, LCSW
Kim McMillin, RN, MT-BC, LMFT
LAARC, LLC 
*Laradon
*Laura Antelmi Iyengar Yoga Center of Boulder
Lotus Brain Integration LLC
Melissa Jones, LCSW 
*Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center
*Northern Colorado Speech & Language Therapy, Inc.
Overture (Chestor House)
Pam Vagnieres/Nutriphysique: Nutrition and Exercise Therapy
*Positive Beginnings, LLC
Sample Supports 
*Sensory Learning Institute
*Sheryl Joel, RCMT
Spectra Autism Center 
Spectrum Community Services
Support, Inc.
The Infinite U, LLC
To The Rescue

*Those donating raffle prizes are starred above. Additional prizes provided by Mica Graves Therapeutic Riding (who could not attend) and by Matthew Denman.

Imagine! Internal Providers present were:
Dayspring
Imagine! CORE/Labor Source
Imagine! Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)
Imagine! Family Recruited Employee Services
Out & About
SmartSupports

Additionally, we appreciate all the Imagine! employees (it seemed like a cast of thousands) who so ably assisted us before, durin,g and after the Fair, especially staff from Family Support and Case Management, without whom this event would not have been possible, let alone such a huge success!

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Western Digital Foundation – Grant of $6,000

Bronze ($1,000-$2,500)
C.C. Shoffner & Ruth A. Shoffner Revocable Living Trust: “To thank you for everything you did for Ted. You made his life enjoyable, you taught him so much, you did things with him ‘above and beyond duty.’ . . . . I think of all who helped Ted as ‘angels’ with beautiful halos.” – Note from Ruth Shoffner (Ted’s mother – Ted was an Imagine! client who passed away several weeks ago).

Supporter ($250-$499)
Donation jar proceeds at Out & About’s free Centre Stage Performance = $348.75

Friend ($1-$249)
Philip & Beth Osnes – Donation at Out & About’s Centre Stage Performance

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Honored For Going Green

Last night, Imagine! was honored by the City of Lafayette, Colorado’s Green Business Program.

We are thrilled to be recognized for our efforts to go green. As a community-based organization, we feel we owe it to our community to leave as little of a footprint as possible.

Thanks, City of Lafayette!

Thank You Thursday

This week’s roundup of generous donations to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Art & Marion Seder

Bronze ($1,000-$2,500)
Combined Federal Campaign – Results of Fall 2012 Campaign (all anonymous)
Imagine! Employees Third Quarter Donation
Ken and Cathy Winter Family Field of Interest Fund/Longmont Community Foundation – Grant of $1000 for General Operating Support

Associate ($500-$999)
Dennis & Becky Fase – A portion of the payment for Merrill Lynch’s Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration
Steven Holmes Fund/Longmont Community Foundation – Grant of $500 for General Operating Support
Longmont Rotary Charity Fund, Inc. – Grant of $700 for an iPad, applications, case, and mounting hardware for the Charles Family SmartHome

In-Kind Gifts

In-Kind Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Joy Newell – Refrigerator, Stove, Dishwasher, and Microwave for Residential Homes

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Celebrate National Siblings Day

Today is National Siblings Day, so we’d like to take this opportunity to give a great big shout out to all the siblings of the individuals served by Imagine!. Siblings play a vital role in the lives of their brothers and sisters with disabilities, and many of the folks we serve are blessed with incredibly supportive siblings. In fact, several members of the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors serve on the board because of their experiences growing up with a sibling with an intellectual disability.

If you are interested in learning more, check out The Sibling Leadership Network (SLN), a national nonprofit dedicated to providing siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote issues important to them and their entire families.

Thank You, Longmont Community Foundation

Last Friday Imagine! received two grants at the Longmont Community Foundation's Annual Grants Breakfast: $1,000 from the Ken and Cathy Winter Family Field of Interest Fund of the Longmont Community Foundation, and $500 from the Steven Holmes Fund of the Longmont Community Foundation. Both grants are to be used for general operating support. Pictured with the checks is Leona Stoecker, past president of the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors.

Imagine! Employees Transcend $10,000

Today, we’d like to send a big “thank you” to Imagine! employees.

As of the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2012-2013, Imagine! employees have already contributed $10,117 to support Imagine!’s programs and services as part of our “Transcend $10,000” Campaign! We are on track to make our goal of $11,500 – a 10% increase over last year’s total raised ($10,492).

We are so fortunate to have employees that contribute to Imagine!’s mission in so many different ways.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,500)
Mutual of America – Table at Imagine! Celebration

Supporter ($250-$499)
ATG Holdings, Inc. – Tickets at the Imagine! Celebration
Dan & Sandra Stevens

Friend ($1-$249)
Invest in Others Charitable Foundation, Inc. – For Out & About

In-Kind Gifts

In-Kind Silver
Liquor Mart – Wine and sparkling wine for the Imagine! Celebration plus Craft Brew and five Wine-A-Month live auction items for the event.

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thanking The Virginia W. Hill Foundation

Today, we’d like to thank The Virginia W. Hill Foundation for its recent grant of $5,000 to support Imagine!’s Dayspring department’s Community Calendar Activities (CCA) program. We very much appreciate the Foundation’s support of this valuable extension of our early intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities or delays.

Through CCA, Imagine!’s early childhood special educators and pediatric occupational therapists work with babies and toddlers during group play and fitness activities in community settings, encouraging motor, sensory, social, emotional, cognitive, and speech and language development. CCA enhances the impact of direct therapies during a critical window in human development, thereby increasing the chances that these vulnerable children will “catch up” to their age peers. In addition, the program provides the children’s families both an introduction to appropriate activities in their communities and the confidence to access them independently.

This is The Virginia W. Hill Foundation’s second grant to support CCA. In all, it has provided $8,000 toward this vital program. Because no federal or state funds are available for CCA and it relies completely on community support, this generous grant is very important and much appreciated.

The Virginia W. Hill Foundation, managed by Wells Fargo, was established by the late Virginia Hill, a noted Denver philanthropist. Mrs. Hill was known in her lifetime for her charitable giving to better the lives of people living in the American West. She was, for example, a major donor in the early 1960's to the restoration of Ft. Laramie. In recent years, Mrs. Hill's Foundation has contributed significantly to improving the health—especially the mental health—of people living in the Denver Metropolitan area.

We are extremely grateful to The Virginia W. Hill Foundation’s continued support of young children and families in our community.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Knights of Columbus -- Father Charles Forsythe Council –Boulder #14877 – for Dayspring

Friend ($1-$249)
Bob and Allie Richardson – for Labor Source
MGM & United Artists Services Company – Residuals from Billy Montgomery’s performance in Rain Man

In-Kind Gifts

In-Kind Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Colorado Doorways, Inc.  – Computers, battery backups, and monitors

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Congratulations, Linda!

Congratulations to Linda Cain, owner of Cain Travel Group, for her election to the 2013 Class of the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame.

Cain Travel Group has been a longtime supporter of Imagine!, and all of us at Imagine! are delighted with this recognition of one of our favorite friends!



Source

Thanks To The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County

We’d like to express our sincere gratitude to The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County for its recent grant of $2,000 to go toward Family Support Grants for families living in Boulder County.

Family Support Grants help pay for the extraordinary costs of caring for a family member who has a developmental disability. Funds may be used to help pay for respite care, professional services, medical and dental senses, transportation, assistive technology, home modifications, and parent and sibling support.

Anyone who has a family member with a developmental disability knows how difficult it can be to pay for some of these expenses, and these grants can make a huge difference. As one family told us: “This grant will help ease the financial stress and burden that comes with having a special needs child. It helps offset costs that insurance does not cover. Each year it seems that insurance covers less to help our child function in the world. We have dealt with that by cutting down on therapies, respite and recreation activities. This grant helps us keep some of those things in place.”

The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County has been generously supporting Imagine! programs for quite some time. In fact, the total amount of donations it has provided to Imagine! over the years is $63,147! Wow, that is fantastic, and we are most appreciative!

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to Imagine! includes:

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Virginia W. Hill Foundation at Wells Fargo – Grant for $5,000 for Imagine!’s Dayspring department's Community Calendar Activities

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Motorola Solutions Foundation – Match to donation by Mark Zentner to equal a Gold Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration
Safeway Foundation – Grant of $4,732 for Labor Source Supported Employment

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Knights of Columbus – Longmont Chapter #1313 – for Dayspring
Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC – Table at the Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
Santa’s House Project – Proceeds from Christmas Open House – for Dayspring

Friend ($1-$249)
GE Foundation – Match to contribution by Al LeBlang
Daniel & Sandra Stevens
Vectra Bank – Donation in support of the Imagine! Celebration

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Imagine! Celebration: Another Success!

This year’s Imagine! Celebration had a new reason to celebrate, as 2013 is Imagine!’s 50th year of operation. The milestone was honored with 50th anniversary balloons, signs, flowers, notepads, and a brief history given by Imagine! Foundation president Sandy Bracken of just how far services for people with developmental disabilities have come during those 50 years.

Imagine! Foundation Board President Sandy Bracken (left) and

past Board President Leona Stoecker at the Annual Imagine! Celebration,

which honored Imagine!’s 50th Anniversary.

Bracken noted that when Imagine! was begun by a group of parents in 1963, the standard advice from doctors was to institutionalize any child born with a developmental disability. But this group of parents wanted to keep their children at home and create a life of meaning and fulfillment for them. Thus Imagine! was created, but many challenges still loomed. For example, Bracken noted that even though the 1960s Civil Rights Act increased equal rights pertaining to race and gender, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the Individual’s with Disabilities Education Act declared students with disabilities as also having inalienable civil rights to a public education. Today, after many years of continued effort, Imagine! takes pride in its ability to help the 2,850 individuals whom it serves each year to have quality lives and to be an integral part of a thriving community.

Though the history was sobering and gave context and meaning to the event, the evening at the Plaza Conference Center in Longmont was also festive! A total of $230,000 was raised to support Imagine! programs and services. Generous restaurants, hotels, businesses, and individuals donated 215 auction items. The silent auction item that proved most popular was a coin proof set from 1975 that sold for 367% of its value! In the live auction, conducted by auctioneer Gary Corbett, a Jax Fish House Chef’s Table Dinner sold for five times its value, and former Foundation president Leona Stoecker’s “Year of Home-Baked Bread” sold for 11 times its value!

The latest technology, which Imagine! is known for, also played a role. Last year, for the first time, guests were able to bid on silent auction items using their smartphones, and smartphone bidding accounted for 11% of the bids. This year, nearly one-fourth of all bids placed were placed on smartphones.

Emcee George Karakehian, an Imagine! Foundation emeritus member, spoke of the $5.3 million raised by the Imagine! Foundation to date and introduced a video produced by Imagine! employees Alex Andrews and Fred Hobbs. The video shared the stories of two individuals Imagine! has served – Joe Hansen, who works at Safeway and is a member of the Imagine! Board of Directors, and Chris Miller, who has gained a sense of belonging from Imagine!’s Out & About summer camp and after school programs.

Imagine! CEO Mark Emery (left) poses with Margie Shaw and her son,

Chris Miller. Margie and Chris were featured in a video, which

debuted at the Celebration, about Imagine!’s services.

Parents Cindy and Dwight Newell were kind enough to share the personal story of their daughter Lindsey, who has received many services from Imagine! during her 22 years. The Newells expressed particular appreciation for Imagine! staff members who provided care and help for Lindsey above and beyond what might be expected as she went through a difficult crisis and who truly made it possible for Lindsey to continue to live at home. The Newells courageously and eloquently reminded everyone in the room of why they were there, which provided a fitting ending to an important evening for those we serve.

Special thanks to the Imagine! Celebration Committee and to our event sponsors for their significant contribution to the event’s success.

Thank You, Louisville

Today, we’d like to thank the City of Louisville, CO for their grant of $400 toward a Family Support Grant for a Louisville family.

Family Support Grants help pay for the extraordinary costs of caring for a family member who has a developmental disability. Funds may be used to help pay for respite care, professional services, medical and dental senses, transportation, assistive technology, home modifications, and parent and sibling support. Anyone who has a family member with a developmental disability knows how difficult it can be to pay for some of these expenses, and these grants can make a huge difference.

As one family told us: “This grant will help ease the financial stress and burden that comes with having a special needs child. It helps offset costs that insurance does not cover. Each year it seems that insurance covers less to help our child function in the world. We have dealt with that by cutting down on therapies, respite and recreation activities. This grant helps us keep some of those things in place.”

Thank you, Louisville, for your generous support of families in your community!

March Is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Twenty-five years ago, spurred by advocates across the nation, then-President Ronald Reagan declared March to be Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month urging “all Americans to join me in according to our fellow citizens with such disabilities both encouragement and the opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”

In observance of DD Awareness Month, the Imagine! Foundation encourages everyone to celebrate the strengths and achievements of Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). After decades of progress, today people with I/DD are living and working in the community, pursuing higher education, growing their faith, making their voices heard, and even taking a lead in using technology to find more independence.

Thank You, Safeway Employees!

Yesterday, the Safeway Foundation presented a check to Imagine! for $4,732 to help support our mission. Pictured in the photo above, from left to right, are Kevin Wehrly, Vice President of Retail Operations for Safeway, Gary Stebick, Imagine! Communications Coordinator, and Heather Halpape, Public Affairs Manager for Safeway. The donation was one of 19 made by Safeway to various non-profit organizations from funds raised through payroll deduction donations by Safeway employees.

Thanks, Safeway employees, for your support of your community!

Congratulations, Bob!

Congratulations are in order for Bob Davis, who serves on Imagine!’s Board of Directors.

Bob, of Re/Max Alliance, is being honored tonight as a Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Champion award in recognition of his outstanding commitment to the Lafayette chamber, special events, and area organizations that have benefited from his volunteerism. Those of us at Imagine! know first-hand about Bob’s commitment to his community. He has been an invaluable member of our Board.

The award presentation will take place tonight, March 7, at 8 p.m. at the Gatehouse in Lafayette. The cost is $35 per person and reservations are required. Go online to www.lafayettecolorado.com for more information.

Way to go, Bob!

Spread The Word To End The Word!

Today, March 6th, 2013, is National Spread the Word to End the Word Awareness Day. The day was created to bring about the end of the use of the R-word. The R-word hurts because it is exclusive. It's offensive. It's derogatory. For more information on National Spread the Word to End the Word Awareness Day, click here.

Thanking The Collins Foundation

Today we’d like to send a great big “thank you” to The Collins Foundation for their recent $2,500 grant for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. 

This is The Collins Foundation’s fifth grant to our Boulder SmartHome, totaling $15,000. The Collins Foundation was established by William R. and Ruth Collins for distribution to charitable, religious, and educational purposes and organizations within the County of Boulder. The Collins Foundation is administered by the Private Client Services division of Wells Fargo Bank.

Thanks, Collins Foundation!

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of recent generous donations to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Knights of Columbus – Boulder Council #1313 – $1,050 for Imagine!’s Dayspring department
Merrill Lynch – Partial Payment for Silver Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
In Honor of Bob & Judy Charles
  From Barbara Zarlengo -- Imagine! Celebration donation

Supporter ($250-$499)
City of Louisville, CO – Grant of $400 towards a Family Support Grant for Louisville family
Wells Fargo – Tickets to Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
In Honor of Polly Atkinson
  From Geri Combs
Kathy Coyne
In Memory of John Downing
  From Jon, Mike, and Linda Smith
East Boulder Optimist Club
Barbara Stanley – Imagine! Celebration donation

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Frasca Food and Wine – Prize for Heads/Tails at Imagine! Celebration: Four-course dinner for four with wine pairings

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Erie Community Center  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 20 punch pass

Good Knights!

Last week, the Boulder Knights of Columbus Council 1183 presented a check for $1,050 to Imagine!'s Dayspring department for community activities that support the therapies children get at home. The Boulder Knights have now donated a total of $14,912.23 to Imagine! from funds raised by their annual Tootsie Roll Drive.

Then, on Saturday, the Longmont Knights of Columbus Council 1313 presented a check for $1,547.38, also for Dayspring's Community Calendar Activities. The Longmont Knights have now donated a total of $22,527.84 to Imagine! from funds raised by their annual Toostie Roll Drive.

In all, local chapters of the Knights of Columbus have donated $47,416.04 to Imagine! over the years. We have a bunch of great Knights around here!

Longmont Knights of Columbus representative Chris Turnow (left) presents Dayspring Director Julie Hartman with a check for $1,547.38

Pictured are Dick Bryant, Chairman of the Boulder Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive, and Julie Hartman, Dayspring Director, immediately following a check presentation of $1,050 from the Knights to Dayspring.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Palmos Development Corporation – Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Community Foundation Serving Boulder County – $2000 grant for Imagine!’s Family Support Grants
Western Disposal – Table Sponsorship at the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Steve Turley

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
The Palmos Family – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Week in deluxe Greek villa

In-Kind Silver ($2500-$4,999)
African Eyes Travel – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Three African Photo Safaris
Colorado Business Bank – Imagine! Auction Item: Club level tickets for 20 plus food and beverages for Colorado Mammoth lacrosse game
George & Kristin Karakehian – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Week in Cape Cod home
Don Sullivan & Paige Lawrence – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Week in Durango home

In-Kind Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Sandy & Sally Bracken – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Farm Table Dinner for 12
Anahid Katchian – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Mediterranean Feast
Liquor Mart – Imagine! Celebration Auction Items: Wine of the Month AND Craft Brew Bonanza
Jay & Kathy Montgomery – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One week stay in Ouray home
Purple Sage -- Design of 50th Anniversary logo, updating of Celebration invitation and sponsor logo pages for program, slides at event, and thank you ad
YMCA of Boulder Valley – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Family Membership and deluxe basket

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Big Red F Restaurant Group – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Jax Fish House Chef’s Table Dinner
Left Hand Brewing Companies – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Craft Brew Bonanza + Beer for Celebration
Pinnacol Assurance – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Four club level tickets to Colorado Avalanche game

In Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Best Western Plus Plaza Hotel – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One weekend night in best available suite
Cowgirl Skin Care – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Basket of premium beauty products
Flagstaff House Restaurant – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 5-course tasting menu for 4 with wine pairings
Sturtz & Copeland Florist & Greenhouses -- $100 gift certificate and four floral arrangements for the Imagine! Celebration
Walters & Hogsett – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Diamond & pearl gold earrings

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Sandy & Sally Bracken – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: CU Men’s Basketball Tickets
The Core Pilates Studio – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Intro package of 4 sessions
Front Range Anglers – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two dozen hand tied flied and $25 gift card
GolfTEC – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 90-minute full swing evaluation
John Mehaffy – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two hand-selected bottles of wine
The Regiment Shops – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $50 gift certificate
Jim & Kathy Snow – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Punch bowl & ladle
Leona Stoecker – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Bread for a Year
Martha Stott – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Wine tasting & cheese pairings

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Celebrating 50 Years

Here’s a fun (and short – we promise!) video celebrating Imagine!’s 50th Anniversary – and looking toward the future.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Scott & Virginia Brown -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration 
John & Deea Frisbie -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Eric & Jennifer Love – Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Walt & Linda Pounds -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Wells Fargo – Final payment for Gold Sponsorship at the Imagine! Celebration
Thomas & Linda Willetto -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Sandy & Sally Bracken – Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Bob & Judy Charles – Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Terry & Susan Clark -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Phil & Yvonne DiStefano -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
David Edwards – Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
David Edwards – Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Dennis & Becky Fase -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Bill & Laura Koch -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Terry & Suzie LaVelle -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Walt Logue & Anahid Katchian -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Rick & Jackie Nelson -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Terry & Zoe Palmos -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jerry & Julia Rudy -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Danny & Linda Souders -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
Brad & Dana Bickham -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Chris & Tanya Bowry -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Joe & Heather DiIorio -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jessie Elliott -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Ben & Elizabeth Gable -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Chris Leh -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jay & Kathy Montgomery -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Ron & Vickye Secrist – Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Gene & Beverly Shaw -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
John & Susan Sidwell -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Rick & Lynne Waidler -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Susan White -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration

Supporter ($250-$499)
Whitney Blair -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Dale Charles -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Geoff & Ann Cooper – Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Scott & Claudia Culley -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Bob & Sandy Edson -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Mark & Judy Emery -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Rollie Heath -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Greg & Jillian Horner -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Sam & Taryn Inman -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Richard & Connie Knippelmeyer -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Victoria Marschner -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Mike & Linda Matthews -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Kevin Nelson -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Mike & Theresa Seader -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Chuck Sisk & Terre Rushton -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Peter Wycoff -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Jason & Carrie Armknecht -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Peggy Arnold -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jay & Mary Balzer -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
John & Crystal Bickel -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Robert Blackwell -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Wendy Blakemore -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Steve & June Blouch -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Dave & Elisa Bosley -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Stephanie Brennan -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Don & Karen Brown -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Tom & Shauna Callahan -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jack Campbell -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jared Cantwell -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Kory & Kim Cash -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Robb Cope -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
John & Joni Creighton -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Ken & Lynn Curtis -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Patrick & Janell Daly -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Bob & Beth Davis – Donation to the Imagine! Celebration
Johnnie & Jan DeLeon -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Lou & Melodie Della Cava -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
In Memory of John Downing
  From Joel and Dorothy Sutter
Chris & Caryn Fannon -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Front Range Periodontal Assn/Mimi Miller -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Sean Gingerich Vic Goodiel -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
GR8Homes of Arizona/Robert Young
Cameron & Erika Grant -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Teresa Gray -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Michael & Sibyl Grenier -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Peter & Arlene Heinz -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Tom & Becky Herman -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
George & Kristin Karakehian
Dale & Kathy King -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jaime LaVelle -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Mark & Julie Lee -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Dave & Shannon Lemmon -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Wendy Linder -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Craig & Barbara MacCambridge -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Andrew & Karen Mason-Richardson -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Cindy McLellan -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Doug & Patty Meneley -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Tom & Vicki Miller -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Chris & Haila Mirto -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Monarch Wealth Attorneys/Russell & Carolina Lombardy -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Karen Morroni -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Rick & Jackie Nelson – Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Ray & Lori Nessler -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
John & Karen Nevins -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Dwight & Cindy Newell - Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Rebecca Novinger -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Pat & Michelle O’Brien -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Vicki O’Connor -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Al & Delaine Orendorff -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Lauren Park -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Leslie Parrish -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jack Patten -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jacob & Sharon Pomerantz -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Dan Powers -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Bill & Cathy Pyle -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Sam & Carla Rapp -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jane Rogers
Rudy & Shelly Rudolph -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Rich Salm -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Nate Samek -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Pat Sharp -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Irene Smittkamp -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Kyle & Michelle Snyder -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Gary Stebick -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Leona & Bernie Stoecker -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Don Sullivan & Paige Lawrence -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Mike & Janis Tennery -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jacob & Meggan Van Kessel -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Don & Colene Van Winkle -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Loree Vanderhye -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Don & Kathy Weibel -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Chuck Wellman -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Best Buy – Art Supplies for CORE/Labor Source
Ron Pearce – Dryer for residential homes
Don Sullivan & Paige Lawrence – Balloons and decorations for Imagine! Celebration

Imagine! Community Forum Scheduled For February 26

Imagine! is hosting its Annual Community Forum on Tuesday, February 26, 2013, from 5:30-6:30 PM. The forum will be held at Imagine!’s John M. Taylor Conference Center, 1665 Coal Creek Dr., Lafayette, CO.

Do you have questions, concerns, or ideas about Imagine!? Then join us at this forum. Representatives from Imagine!’s staff and Board of Directors will be on hand to answer questions and receive input from families and local community members. You can join us in person or online.

Topics to be discussed include:

• The State of the State
• Governor Hickenlooper’s Budget Proposal
• Regional Center Issues
• Imagine!’s New Home for Seniors in Broomfield

To attend in person: R.S.V.P. @ (303) 665-7789

Click here to attend online.

Click here to email your questions/comments in advance.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Ball Corporation – Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration 

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Amgen, Inc. – Silver Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Eide Bailly – Silver Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Dick & Linda Livingston
Signature Offset – Silver Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Tebo Development/Stephen Tebo & Shari Tebo – Silver Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Richard Ackerman – Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Allen Ginsborg -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Sterling-Rice Group, Inc. – Table at the Imagine! Celebration

Lloyd & Julie Streit -- Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Wells Fargo – Partial payment for Gold Sponsorship at the Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
Sue Deans -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Greenhouse Partners – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration
Hisco – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration

Supporter ($250-$499)
Fenton A. Bain, PC – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Linda Baran -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Steve Bryant -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Emma Conroy – Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
Robb Cope -- Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
Bob & Beth Davis – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration
In Memory of John Downing
  From Nicholas & Connie Christoff
  From Robert & Anastasia Lawhead
  From Tom & Georgia Magnera
  From Josef & Sara Michl
Frank & Deb Drexel -- Tickets to the Imagine! Celebration
Kathy Evans -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Katie Hawkins – Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Clyde & Pam Hyink -- Tickets to the Imagine! Celebration
Karen Louis -- Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
Larry & Barbara Marquess – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration
Joan Martin – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration
John & Carol Ann Mehaffy -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Doug & Patty Meneley -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Michael & Suzan Myers
John & Karen Nevins – Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
Virginia Patterson – Donation After the Imagine! Celebration
Richard Polk – Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
Dennis Rezendes -- Donation at the Imagine! Celebration
Jane Rogers – Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
John & Jill Sheldon -- Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration
Twin Peaks Heating Cooling Plumbing – Tickets to the Imagine! Celebration
Clay Wyatt – Ticket to the Imagine! Celebration

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Omni Interlocken Resort – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Overnight Stay, Breakfast, Golf for Two

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Boulder’s Dinner Theatre – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Tickets to Upcoming Performance
Foolish Craig’s Café  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $40 gift card
The Greenbriar Inn – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Champagne Brunch for Two

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Imagine! Celebration Photos

The Imagine! Celebration, held on Friday, January 25, was again a big success! A total of $230,000 was raised to support Imagine!’s mission, and 385 guests were in attendance. Below are some photos of the festivities!

Imagine! Foundation Board President Sandy Bracken, Sally Bracken,

and Peter Powers, representing Longmont United Hospital.

 

Imagine! CEO Mark Emery and Margie Shaw and her son, Chris Miller. 

Margie and Chris were featured in the video shown at the event.

 

Imagine! Foundation Board Member Rick Nelson and

Imagine! Board President Whitney Blair.

 

Walt Pounds, Imagine! Foundation Board Vice President,

and his wife Linda.

 

Foundation Board Member Colene Van Winkle chaired the event along with

Paige Lawrence and her husband Don Sullivan (below).

 

Paige Lawrence and Don Sullivan.

 

 

Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Susan LaHoda,

Foundation Board Member Valorie Simpson,

and Foundation Board Member Terry Palmos and his wife Zoe.

 

 

Celebration emcee and Foundation Board Member Emeritus George Karakehian
and former Foundation president Leona Stoecker celebrate Imagine!’s 50 years.

 

 

Cindy and Dwight Newell spoke to the audience about

the important role Imagine! has played in the life of

their daughter Lindsey and their family.