Good Knights!

The Longmont Knights of Columbus recently donated an additional $999 from last fall’s Tootsie Roll Campaign to Imagine!’s Dayspring department to help fund Community Calendar Activities! Generous local Knights chapters have supported Dayspring’s activities for quite some time. In fact, the Councils of the Knights of Columbus in Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, and Longmont have donated more than $35,000 to Imagine! over the past 9 years. Their kindness is inspiring and amazing, and we are so grateful!

That is why we are encouraging you to please help them (and Imagine!) out this weekend. The Boulder Knights of Columbus will begin their annual Tootsie Roll Drive this Saturday (September 18) at two Boulder King Soopers locations: Arapahoe & 30th and Table Mesa & Broadway! You will find them in yellow aprons, collecting donations for individuals with special needs.

Join them if you can, and don't forget to tell all of your friends!

Safeway Check for $10,000 Arrives!

Kris Staaf (left), Safeway's Regional Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations, presented Imagine! with a check for $10,000 at the Imagine! board of directors meeting on Tuesday, August 31. Joe Hansen (center), an employee of Safeway and a member of Imagine!'s board, had written a letter of support to accompany the Foundation's grant application. Imagine! CEO Mark Emery (right) accepts the check!

Greg Wellems Speaks at Charles Family SmartHome Dedication in Longmont

Interested in learning a little more about why Imagine! built its SmartHomes and what the next steps are? Then check out the speech Greg Wellems gave at the dedication of the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont.

Bob Charles Speaks at Dedication of Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont

Want to hear a great testimonial as to why contributing to Imagine! is such a rewarding experience? Then please take a couple of minutes to watch Bob Charles speak at the dedication of the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. Bob does a great job of explaining why a home like this is so important. Fun to watch, and you may even get a tear in your eye!

$6,000 in New Grants

We are delighted to report that the Foundation has recently received two grants:

1. $5,000 from the Kenneth King Foundation in support of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. This brings the total raised for the Boulder SmartHome to $902,952 or 59% of the total cst of the home and technology. We appreciate the help of board member Sandy Bracken in securing this grant.

2. $1,000 from the Herbert Parker Foundation at Wells Fargo Bank in support of Imagine!'s Community Calendar Activities Program, which extends early intervention services for children aged 0-3 with developmental disabilities and delays into a variety of recreational, education, and fitness activities alongside "typical" children in inclusive community settings.

Special thanks to our grant writer, Christina Craigo, for preparing these applications and all of our other submissions throughout the year.

Why Our Partners Are So Important

The collaborations and partnerships that Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation have developed throughout the community have led to new discoveries, better care for our clients, and improved service delivery. Check out this great story in the Boulder County Business Report about our relationship with CaraSolva to see just one example.

Safeway Foundation Pledges $10,000

The Safeway Foundation has pledged $10,000 to Imagine! based on a grant request that was accompanied by a letter from one of Imagine!'s clients, Joe Hansen, who has worked at Safeway since 2001, and a letter from Joe's mother, Jeannette Hansen.

Joe's letter notes, "I started working at Safeway when I was a senior in high school. I am a courtesy clerk. My work at Safeway has given me financial independence. I use my Safeway pay check to buy groceries and for spending money. I really enjoy the people at work and am proud that I am helping people in my community." Jeannette's letter states, "As a mother, I am very grateful to both Imagine! and Safeway. Services from Imagine! and a job at Safeway have made Joe's life so much richer and happier. I am very proud of Joe and delighted to see how happy he is today."

Joe serves on Imagine!'s Board of Directors, and he and his mother will be on hand when the Safeway Foundation presents the $10,000 check to Imagine! at the board meeting on August 31. Thanks so much, Joe! We believe your letter and your mom's were the deciding factors in our receiving this generous grant!

Jane Butcher Honors Jack Stoakes

Jane Butcher recently made a $1,000 gift to the Imagine! Foundation in honor of Jack Stoakes. This is Jane's second-year gift of a three-year pledge. Jack was one of the original Imagine! Foundation board members, served as President of the Foundation for two years from 2004 through 2006, and is now an Emeritus member. Jack has strengthened the Foundation in numerous ways. In addition to being a top fund raiser and serving on several committees, he has generously contributed beverages for Foundation events for many years from Liquor Mart, Boulder where he serves as Store Operator.

Foundation Raises $965,831 in 09-10

The Foundation just closed out its 2009-2010 year having raised a total of $965,831 -- a 45% increase over the previous year. We are especially grateful to the City of Boulder grant for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, and the City of Longmont and State of Colorado grants for the Charles Family SmartHome. We were also thrilled to receive a generous bequest from the Elizabeth Tarvin Trust at the time of the passing of Imagine! client Richard Tarvin last fall.Since it's inception in 2000, the Foundation has raised $3,899,378! We will let you know when we reach the $4,000,000 mark sometime this coming fiscal year!