Thank You Thursday!

A roundup of the last two week’s worth of generous donations to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$4,999)
Colorado Business Bank -- Gold Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration 

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
PDC Pharmacy – Silver Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration
Mark Zentner -- Half of Gold Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration -- will be matched by Motorola Foundation

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
In Honor of Susan Armijo
  From Datalogix, Inc.
Enterprise Holdings Foundation – Grant for Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab
Guaranty Bank and Trust Company – Table at Imagine! Celebration
Land Title Guarantee Company – Table at Imagine! Celebration
Longmont United Hospital – Table at Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
Melvyn & Noelle Branch

Supporter ($250-$499)
On Behalf of The Boulder Group of Robert W. Baird & Co for Holiday Gifts for Imagine! Families
  From Anonymous
  From Barbara Brenton
  From Montex  
  From The Schild Family Charitable Gift Fund
John & Alisa Lewis
David & Marlys Millhiser
Thanksgiving Day at Zolo Southwestern Grill Donations

Friend ($1-$249)
Blake Baily
Colleen Bammann
David & Sarah Barnes
Joseph & Ann Boberschmidt
Hal, Sherry & Annie Bruff
William & Jenny Burton
Jerry & Carol Chesser
Max & Barbara Coppom
Scott & Susanne Davis
Fran Dugan
Harry Goresline
Frank & Nancy Latino
Gerald & Pat McNutt
MGM & United Artists – Residuals from Billy Montgomery’s performance in Rain Man
The Naomi Circle
Doc Nelson & Jeanie Valentine
Michael & Jeanne Schmid
In Memory of Donna Sklenar
  From Lo Anne Zentner

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Gold ($5,000-$9,999) Big Red F Restaurant Group – 360 Thanksgiving dinners for Imagine! families

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Catie Bodin – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Semi precious gemstone necklace
High Country Harley Davidson – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: three day motorcycle rental and T-Shirt
Isle Casino Hotel – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay in a mini-suite and dinner for two at Farraddays
Turley’s – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 10 $30 gift certificates

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Barris Laser and Skin Care – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Massage and Facial
Boulder Cork – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $60 gift certificate
Boulder Marriott – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay
Children’s Museum of Denver – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Four tickets
Colorado Music Festival – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Section A tickets
Colorado Symphony – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two tickets for upcoming season
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Four museum admissions
Football Signed by Peyton Manning – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item
Larkburger – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 gift card
The Little Jewel – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Sterling Silver Earrings
Lodge Casino - Black Hawk – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night + $50 towards meals
Opera Colorado – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two tickets to “The Scarlet Letter”
Puddle Car Wash – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 10 Water Works car washes
Hope Robertson, CEH, RCST, NCLMT – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One 90 minute massage
Tresca (Jane Dinsmore) – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Haircut
Rick Uhlir – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Four one-hour private golf lessons at Indian Peaks Golf Course, including video analysis

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Robert W. Baird & Co

The photo below is from a generous donation by the Boulder office of Robert W. Baird & Co.(an employee-owned wealth management, capital markets, asset management and private equity firm) made for Imagine!’s Gift Giving Drive.

The good folks at Baird hosted a fundraiser, which was attended by about 180 generous individuals who brought donations for Imagine!. The donations will provide toys for 75-100 of the children on Imagine!’s gift giving list.

Thanks to Baird for making the holidays a little brighter for Imagine! clients and families in need. Special thanks to Baird’s Nancy Crume, the contact point who also delivered the gifts the day after the event.

Thank You, Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center

Imagine! recently received a grant of $2,500 from Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center to assist with its mental health services for individuals with developmental disabilities or delays. The grant follows a comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment facilitated by the University of Colorado Denver, through which Exempla identified Mental Health (including early childhood social and emotional development) as one of eight areas in which Boulder and Broomfield counties ranked below average in Colorado.

The funds will be utilized by Imagine! Behavioral Health Services, which provides evidence-based services in a variety of settings through education and collaboration.

Thank you, Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center, for helping to address the needs of our community!

Thanksgiving Day Smiles

This Thanksgiving brought big smiles to individuals served by Imagine! and their families -- 360 people in all -- who were treated to a complete traditional turkey dinner by Dave Query, owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, and staff members from all of the Big Red F restaurants who volunteered their time.   The feast was held at Zolo Southwestern Grill.

Kudos to Dave and the Big Red F folks for making the holiday one truly deserving of thanks!

Thank You Thursday!

On this day dedicated to thanks, we want to offer our sincere gratitude to everyone who has provided time, energy, ideas, and funds to help Imagine! meet its mission over its almost 50 years of serving individuals with developmental disabilities. At its heart, Imagine! is a community building organization, and we can’t succeed without the support of the community.

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!

A Very Zolo Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and that means that once again we have the honor and pleasure of offering a heartfelt “thank you” to Dave Query and staff, who will be treating individuals served by Imagine!, and their families, to a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day at Zolo Southwestern Grill.

Query is donating the makings for a delicious Zolo-style repast with all the trimmings, and wait staff members from all of the Big Red F Restaurants (see below) are volunteering their time. There is no charge for the meal, and no tips are necessary.

This year, 360 people (three seatings of 120 each) will get to enjoy this meal. We used an online sign-up this year for the first time, making it easier on Imagine! staff and saving time for everyone. The event filled up in four days!

Dave Query is the owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, including Boulder restaurants Centro Latin Kitchen, the Bitter Bar, Jax Fish House, West End Tavern, and Zolo Grill, and Denver restaurants Jax Fish House and LoLa Coastal Mexican, and the newest Jax Fish House in Fort Collins. Dave has also served on the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors. 

This is the ninth year that Dave Query and Big Red F employees have made Thanksgiving extra special for individuals served by Imagine!. We cannot thank them enough.

Colorado Gives Day Is December 4

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 4, and Imagine! will again be participating. Donations made online through our website on December 4 at any of the “Donate Here” buttons will be eligible for partial matching funds. (The “Donate Here” button takes you directly to the Community First Foundation site and saves all bank fees for credit card donations.) Imagine!’s total donations for the 2011 Colorado Gives Day were $12,407, from a total of 56 individuals making gifts, including Imagine! staff members and board members. This was a big step up from the previous year’s $4,675.

If you are thinking about making a gift to Imagine! before the end of the calendar year, please consider doing it online through our website on December 4. You may even schedule your gift now to have it recorded on December 4. So far, we already have $6,750 in pre-scheduled donations! You may also designate a particular Imagine! program in the “Any comments or special instructions” box if you would like. The only gifts that are ineligible are donations for which you receive something in return, such as tickets or sponsorships to our Imagine! Celebration.

Mark your calendar for December 4, or schedule your donation now!

Imagine!’s Gift Giving Drive In Full Swing

The Holiday Season is upon us, and at Imagine!, that means our Annual Gift Giving Drive is in full swing.

Many generous individuals, companies, community organizations, and Imagine! employees are working together to provide gifts to needy Imagine! consumers and their families.

Last holiday season, more than 500 Imagine! consumers were served through the Gift Giving Drive with the generosity of community support. You can help to support our families and children who are most in need during this holiday season!

There will be many opportunities to get involved over the next several weeks and we have already started collecting gifts! If you are interested in supporting Imagine!’s Gift Giving Drive with a donation, you can pick up a gift tag (with a specific gift suggestion) from the lobby at Imagine!’s Dixon St. (1400 Dixon St.) or Coal Creek Dr. (1665 Coal Creek Dr.) offices in Lafayette.

Or, you can select a gift from the list below:

For Children ages 0-18
Educational Toys (Spanish or English)
Dolls and Accessories
Board Games
Books (Spanish or English)
Craft Sets
Ball Set or Nerf Set
Car or Truck Sets
Remote Control Car
CD Player w/ Headphones
Legos
Art Supplies
Clothing Items
Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves
Gift Cards

Gifts For Adults
DVDs
CDs
Art and Craft Supplies
Body Lotion/Bath Sets
Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves

All gifts can be dropped off in the lobby of either Imagine! building, or a pick up can be delivered for group donations! Imagine! will be collecting gifts until December 10th. For questions, or to schedule a group donation pick up, contact Elizabeth at ebaumann@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6460.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$4,999)
Hannelore Jend

Friend ($1-$249)
Angelo & Ann Bindi
John & Ann Boettcher
Boulder Vision Center
Tom & Barb Buell
Dana Dupuis
R.W. Goodacre
John Hoeffler
Al & Pat LeBlang
Rick & Jackie Nelson
Ron & Cheryl Sandgrund
Peter & Anne Schmid
Susan Straight

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Colorado National Golf Club  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Golf for four with carts
Deb Gravelle – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Three-hour sailing lesson
Mountain Sun & Southern Sun Pub & Brewery – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $300 gift certificates

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Mary Balzer – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Handwoven basket
Comedy Works – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Ten “Admit Two Free” passes
Denver Zoological Foundation, Inc. – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Family Four-pack
Eric Olson, Master Jeweler – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $100 gift certificate
Haystack Mountain Golf Course – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One hour simulator
SkyVenture Colorado LLC  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Three-minute flight ticket
Sugarbeet – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $40 gift card
Ten20 – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 gift card

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Congratulations, John!

Long-time friend of the Imagine! Foundation John Tayer has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Boulder Chamber.

Learn more here.

Congratulations, John!

Rose Mary Honored For 15 Years Of Volunteering

Thanks to Imagine! employee Eva Klemens for orchestrating this neat blog post.

Congratulations to Rose Mary, who is pictured here displaying the plaque she received for volunteering at Boulder Community Hospital for 15 years. Rose Mary, who receives services from Imagine!, volunteers every Wednesday for 2 hours and does office work. Note the rose stitched onto the green jacket she was presented with, which is also engraved with her name. Way to go Rose Mary! 

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center – Grant for Imagine! Behavioral Health Services

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Don & Kathy Weibel

Associate ($500-$999)
Rose Community Foundation – Phil DiStefano Matching Gift

Supporter ($250-$499)
Warren & Caroline Baker
Randall Draper & Sally Watts
Krische Construction 
In Honor of Cari Pounds
  From Paul & Janet Hoskins
INSPIRATIONField  – Tickets to Imagine! Celebration
Sharon Svendsen

Friend ($1-$249)
Margaret Bass Berglund
Woody Eaton
Terry & Donna Jackson
Ken & Marilyn Jahner
Dan Johnson & Star Waring
In Memory of Sarah McInroy  
  From Matthew & Heather Brandt
  From Jerry & Evelyn Kennedy
  From Ralene Sanford
Glennys McPhilimy
Edward & Elena Merchant (donors since 1999!)
Marion Raines
Floyd & Alta Schweitzer
Larry & Thelma Whitaker (donors since 1997!)

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Animal Hospital – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Vet for a Day + Canine or feline wellness exam/vaccinations
St. Julien Hotel & Spa – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Arvada Center for the Arts – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two tickets
Bolder Boulder – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two race certificates
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $100 gift certificate for tickets
Jungle Quest – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $28 gift certificate
Longmont Dairy Farm – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 gift certificate
Madcap Theater  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 4 tickets to any improv comedy performance
Martini Bistro – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $50 gift card
Renaissance Denver Hotel – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay
University of Colorado Department of Intercollegiate Athletics – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two football tickets

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Sandy & Sally Bracken – Gold Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration

Supporter ($250-$499)
Daniel & Judith Hersh

Friend ($1-$249)
Walter & Robin Davis
Tony Greco
Lee Hill Peat, Inc.
Cindy Matthews
In Memory of Sarah McInroy (for Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab)
  From Christina Kennedy
Trey & Katie Olson
William & Helen Schmalhorst
Jim & Terry Vratny

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Boulder Country Club – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Foursome with carts
Lake Valley Golf Club – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Foursome with carts

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Barris Laser & Skin Care – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One Facial and One Massage
Carelli’s  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two entrees
Eldorado Springs Water  – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: 8 pool passes
Pasta Jay’s – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $60 Gift Certificate
Super Mini Walnut Café – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 Gift Certificate
Via Toscana – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 Gift Certificate

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Happy Anniversary, Out & About!

This year marks the 15th Anniversary of Imagine!’s Out & About department making a positive difference in the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families by providing positive instruction and community-based services within a therapeutic framework.

Out & About was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities. Since that time, Out & About has continued to grow and develop into a dynamic, exciting, and flexible organization thanks to the ideas, requests and suggestions of staff members, the community, and the people they serve.

Out & About offers community-based recreation programming for adults and children with developmental disabilities, including: 

• Catalog - Services offered on evenings and weekends for adults. Some examples include: swimming, equine therapy, bowling, hiking, holiday dance parties, arts & crafts, Denver Zoo, Museum of Nature and Science, Water World and Elitch Gardens. Out & About also offers a mid-day Saturday activity for school aged children.

• After School Program - Offered to school-aged children. Participants are picked up from their respective school and driven to the activity by an Out & About instructor.

• Summer Camp and select School Closure Days  – Full day services for school aged children when school is not in session.

In each program area Out & About uses positive instruction within a therapeutic framework to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety and the achievement of individual goals for each participant.

To honor this important anniversary, Out & About will be hosting a celebration event this Friday, November 2, in conjunction with its usual Friday Night Out event. The celebration is free and open to the public, and will take place from 6:30 – 9:30 in the John Taylor Conference Center’s Pounds Conference Room, located in Imagine!’s office at 1665 Coal Creek Drive in Lafayette. 

If you are interested in attending, please contact Haley Jones Short, Out & About, Therapeutic Specialist/Evenings and Weekend Coordinator, at hjones@imaginecolorado.org.

Congratulations, Out & About! 

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Boulder Community Hospital – Silver Sponsor of Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
Harold & Connie Jackson
Carl Vertuca

Supporter ($250-$499)
Richard & Diana Lirtzman
In Memory of Sarah McInroy (for Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab)
  From Gary Dillard
  From Sarah’s Cousins Back East

Friend ($1-$249)
Bob & Cindy Baxt
In Honor of BC Interiors
  From Mad Seating
Tom & Susan Chesney
Kathy Coyne
Harris Faberman
Don Humphrey
In Memory of Sarah McInroy (for Imagine!'s Assistive Technology Lab)
  From Anonymous
  From Doris Brack
  From Robin Brewer
  From Mike Cooperman & Shirley Kasperbauer
  From Lyle & Beverly Dehning
  From Don & Brenda Graffis
  From Jean Hagenbuch
  From Kara Halley
  From Harry & Wanda Heibein
  From Barbara Kohler
  From Doug & Carol Creech
  From Dan & Kathy Leszcynski
  From Joseph & Dorothy Lindley
  From Cindy Lindquist
  From Don & Victoria Martin
  From Alan Mason & Maggie English
  From Sam & Kay McInroy
  From Sam & Sharon McInroy
  From Barbara McKenzie
  From Colleen Mecseji
  From Harry Robinson, Jr.
  From Vapotherm, Inc.
  From Lisa Vigil
  From Michael & Catherine Violette
In Memory of Billy Montgomery (for the Bob & Judy Charles SmartHome)
  From Charlene Laughlin
Arthur & Barbara Sward

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Boulder Community Hospital – Imagine! Celebration Auction Items: Heart Scan and Bike Fit

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Anonymous – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Royal Doulton figurine “Victorian Lady”
Smoker Friendly– Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: A Premium Cigar Basket

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Anonymous – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Royal Doulton figurine “Bed Time”
Hotel Boulderado – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay
Jeffrey K. Abrams Architect – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One hour consultation
Leonard’s Golf – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $50 gift certificate for lessons or practice

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Energy Outreach Colorado

Today we’d like to thank Energy Outreach Colorado, which has provided a combination of in-kind and cash support for energy audits and significant energy efficiency improvements to two of Imagine!'s group residences over the past year through its Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Program (NEEP).

This support will reduce Imagine!'s energy consumption and costs at these facilities for years to come -- thereby strengthening Imagine!’s capacity to provide the broad range of services needed by people of all ages with developmental delays and disabilities throughout Boulder and Broomfield Counties.

Energy Outreach Colorado is the only independent, non-profit organization in the state that raises money to help limited income Coloradans afford home energy. Since 1989, EOC has raised more than $120 million to fund energy bill payment assistance, energy efficiency upgrades for affordable housing and nonprofit facilities, energy efficiency education, and advocacy on behalf of low-income energy consumers. Energy Outreach Colorado relies on private donations, corporate contributions and foundation grants.

Thanks, Energy Outreach Colorado, for your support of some of Colorado’s most vulnerable citizens.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Platinum ($10,000+)
In Memory of Guy and Elaine Smith, Cari Pounds’ loving grandparents (for van for Imagine!’s Tenino House)

Associate ($500-$999)
John Moritz

Supporter ($250-$499)
In Memory of Sarah McInroy (for Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab)
  From Karri-Ada Kennedy

Friend ($1-$249)
Jim & Donna Lionberger
In Memory of Sarah McInroy (for Imagine!'s Assistive Technology Lab)
  From Bernie & Leona Stoecker
Jim & Sue Rector

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Friend
Leona Stoecker – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item - One freshly baked loaf of bread each month for a year

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Thank You To All Of Our Donors

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who support Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation with cash and in-kind contributions. We publish the names of our donors on a yearly basis.

Click here to see the list of those who donated during fiscal year 2011-2012 (7/1/11 – 6/30/12).

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Energy Outreach Colorado – Grant of $8,818.08 for energy upgrades at Imagine!’s Manhattan Apartments

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
One Lafayette – Grant of $1,500 from City of Lafayette for emergency services for Lafayette families with a family member with developmental disabilities

Associate ($500-$999)
Olivia Edwards
John Thacker

Friend ($1-$249)
Martin & Helen Goldman
In Honor of Joanne Graham and Janine Randol
  from Stacey Forsyth
iGive.com 
John & Anna Mandis
In Memory of Sarah McInroy
  from Alice Galenson and Louis Thompson
Open Sky Event Marketing 
Virginia Patterson
United Way of Tri-County on behalf of Robert Kretsch

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Friend
Denver Boulder Couriers – one courier trip

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thanking The Daniels Fund

Today we’d like to say “thank you” to The Daniels Fund, which recently awarded Imagine! a $15,000 grant for Family Support Grants for families living in Broomfield who have a child with a developmental disability.

Why does this matter? Well, in 2010, the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 has been calculated at $226,920, or almost $14,000 per year.

Now imagine if that child has a disability - the costs can become staggering. That is what makes Imagine!’s Family Support Grants so important, and why we are so grateful to the Daniels Fund for their support. Imagine! 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, transportation, assistive technology, home modifications, and parent and sibling support.

The Daniels Fund awarded support grants for Broomfield families totaling $10,000 in 2009 and $15,000 in 2010. The organization has given a total of $40,000 to the grant program since 2009.

According to their website,

“The Daniels Fund, founded through the generous legacy of Bill Daniels, operates the Daniels Fund Grants Program and the Daniels Fund Scholarship Program in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The Daniels Fund Grants Program supports nonprofit organizations in our four-state region as well as national programs. Each year, approximately 70% of the Daniels Fund’s community investments are made through the Daniels Fund Grants Program in the following areas: Aging, Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, Early Childhood Education, K-12 Education Reform, Ethics and Integrity in Education, Homeless and Disadvantaged, and Youth Development.”

A recent article in The Broomfield Enterprise highlighted the most recent grant from The Daniels Fund and shared one family’s story of how the grant was used to purchase an iPad and a set of educational programs to help their son learn and communicate.

We are so grateful to The Daniels Fund for their continued support of Broomfield families. Thank you!!!