So many thanks from Rotary

First, thank you to all in our little village that bought tickets for our Rubber Duckie Race. And special thanks to the second home owners, visitors and long distance patrons who may never directly benefit from the club’s (or Rotary International’s) giving. 4,100 tickets were purchased, filling Rotary’s coffers with $41,000 for future scholarships, local non-for-profits needs and international projects that our club supports. Third graders be rest assured: you will be getting dictionaries again this year!
For those that provided venues for our ticket sales, I would like to thank Diana and her team at the Arts Festival, Jen and Kevin at Farmers Market, Tom Clark and Bill Stephens from Clarks Market and Postmaster Adele Bachman at the post office.
Our Race Partners stepped up to the plate again this year with great prizes! Thanks to Club at Crested Butte, Alpineer, Bank of America, Center for the Arts, CBMR, Colorado Freeskier, Gourmet Noodle, Gunnison Savings & Loan, Kennedy Associates, Lils, Maxwells and last, but not least Soupcon.
Rotary night at Alpenglow was a huge success this year! Thank you Tom and Bill from Clarks for your generosity and Jenny for providing us the opportunity to raise funds through the sale of food and tickets. The rain quit just before show time and we had a record year!
Once again Teresa and Jos at Rijks Family Gallery were there every step of the way, donating poster mounting, selling past posters as well as t-shirts during Arts Festival Weekend.
The Town did their part to make this happen thanks to Rodney who manned the front end loader full of ducks and Jake who cleared the creek of obstacles that might impede the chances for each and every one of your little duckies.
And how about that poster?! Many hours (mostly during REM, I imagine) were spent by Kate Seeley creating this year’s masterpiece. Speaking of “Service Above Self” bravo to the brave souls that weathered the turbulent and frigid waters of Coal Creek to pluck those winning ducks: Leah, Glo, Bill, Marcie, Joe, Skylar, Drew (voted Best Dressed by Pluckers Publishing), Joel, Kate, Ethan, Jenny and the Red Lady Queen.
Acknowledgments must go out to Rotarians who went above and beyond the call of duty: Steve Mabry at CB Printing, Richard Cole pulling it together for the 4th of July parade and Rotary night at Alpenglow. Thanks also to Jay Jaynes who has selflessly shared his garage for many years (not to mention product from his store), Richard Bond offering up the Chamber as storage site, dealing with permits and such and last but not least Marty Evans, the duck-master who slaved behind the scenes to ensure that the novice duck chair made us to the finish line.
AT KBUT, kudos goes out to Craig (a fellow Rotarian) for his PSAs and, of course, Dave Clayton stepping up to do an awesome job as MC (in the middle of his own pledge drive). We’re coming for you, Dave.
 
See you Creek-side in 11 months and 25 days,
Gary Hillman
Mt. Crested Butte-Crested Butte Rotary President