March 1: Honoree Celebration - Vote for Nominees & Help Us Celebrate Them!

2017 Nonprofit of the Year Nominees
Seniors’ Resource Center
The Seniors' Resource Center's comprehensive program includes such services as bus pickup of Seniors for doctor appointments and grocery shopping, Meals on Wheels, educational classes and safe caregiving at the Yellow House Center; free Friday luncheons and organized field trips as well as purposeful social and fun activities for Seniors. The personnel and volunteers are welcoming, kind, helpful, and respectful of Seniors with any kind of affliction and pay scale. The host of local volunteers at the Seniors' Resource Center are the epitome of genuine service - a true example of what is loved about the Evergreen community.

Elk Run Assisted Living Community
Elk Run is a nonprofit, faith based organization here in our beautiful mountain community of Evergreen, that offers assisted living and respite services. Respite services are an option for families who need guilt-free time away from caregiving or for the person who needs additional rehabilitation before going home. They have a tranquil setting in the foothills of the mountains and have been in this community for 16 years. In Colorado, their care community helps residents celebrate life as they live it to the fullest. Elk Run residents are an active group and they have a great zest for life. Elk Run has 14 residents in their 90s. One resident is 102, and the oldest resident is 104. They even take residents with pets!

DriveSmart
DriveSmart provides much-needed education regarding safe driving practices for all ages. Their fundraising events are wildly popular and unite our community. They integrate education with exciting events including the Revel the Rockies Marathon, Triple Bypass, Skate the Lake and the Polar Plunge. DriveSmart is an important best community asset!

Evergreen Christian Outreach (ECHO)
Evergreen Christian Outreach made a big impact on lives of those in need in 2017. The Food Bank distributed 268,388 pounds of food via 7,772 individual client visits, a 26% increase. Summer lunches were provided to 69 families and over 550 holiday meals were provided at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Adopt-a-Child program provided Christmas gifts to 112 children of families in crisis. EChO expanded its services to Domestic Violence victims and to Veterans. The Emergency Shelter Program served homeless guests on 47 frigid nights. The Resale Store raised nearly $170,000 to support EChO programs. The store also provided free clothing to unemployed job seekers. The Jobs Program provided 850 training services to those in our community seeking employment and to seniors to improve their computer skills.

Blue Spruce Kiwanis
The Blue Spruce Kiwanis Club is one of the most active nonprofits in the community and supports so many other nonprofits withits charitable and civic activities - from presenting the Big Chili fundraiser for firefighters, the Triple By-Pass bicycle ride, the Aktion Club for adults with disabilities, and a multitude of children's events such as the Cowboy Breakfast for kindergarten students! It is the oldest civic non-profit in our community and is always, always there for any nonprofit activity that needs additional man and woman power!

Evergreen Animal Protection League
The dedication to saving lives of animals from all over the country is incredible. The all volunteer staff is tirelessly dedicated and contribute untold hours to fostering, raising, protecting and securing adoptive homes for every orphaned animal they can find, often victims of abuse and malnourished.

Leadership Evergreen
The LE Group involves volunteers within our community to work together with the leaders of our community to improve areas needing improvement. The ongoing commitment of this organization is invaluable to the continual improvement of our town

Evergreen Elks Lodge #2363
The Elks are celebrating their 50th Anniversary of helping youth, nonprofits and our local community. Last year they donated over $40,000 to local mountain nonprofits. They work tirelessly volunteering to raise funds to benefit our community, state and country. The community events they sponsor are almost too many to name, but include the Easter Egg Hunt and Free Breakfast, Crawfish Boil, Rodeo Parade and Lunch, Thanksgiving Dinner for Seniors, Christmas Wish List for Laradon Hall, Flag Day, Jazz Festival, and Red, White and Brew. They have donated to Alpine Rescue, Big Dogs, Bootstraps, Conifer High School, EChO, Drive Smart, Freedom Service Dogs, MALT, Peace Works, Senior Resource Center, Mount Evans Hospice, Scout Troops and many more.

Evergreen Trout Unlimited
The purpose of ETU is to conserve, protect and restore cold-water fisheries and their watersheds.

2017 Volunteer of the Year Nominees
Jim Sherwood
40 years ago, Jim came to visit the Choate Ranch (which remains) on east Stagecoach where he said: "One day I will live in Evergreen". Since he's lived here, he has built several homes and has become extremely involved with our beloved community. He volunteers for many organizations including EDBA, ELID, CAE, Summerfest, Big Chili, MRC, ECHO, EPRD, Dam Ducky Derby and so many others.

Dave Montesi
EPAD's mission is to facilitate access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in order to increase the survival of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). AEDs are small portable devices that detect ventricular fibrillation and provide an electrical charge that can assist in the return of a normal, organized heartbeat. A victims chance of survival drops an astonishing 10% per minute without CPR and defibrillation. Early CPR and early defibrillation is paramount in saving a victim of sudden cardiac arrest, thus EPAD is dedicated to making the Evergreen community "Heart Safe" by placing AEDs in businesses and public spaces throughout the mountain area. Due to Dave diligence, EPAD and the Evergreen Community have been awarded the highest designation from the Heart Safe Foundation (5 Hearts). Since 2001, EPAD has placed 80 AED in the area and saved 3 lives. Dave was instrumental in starting and growing the program since day 1.

Jean Wells
Jean and her husband Mike have both been active in the Evergreen community for decades. Countless hours have been spent by Jean who has been an Evergreen Christian Outreach board member for many years and has been EChO treasurer (CPA) for the past four years. Her accomplishments are many and goes about serving this wonderful community with grace and humility. She is always there to lend a hand.

Shirley Giovarelli
Shirley Giovarelli has selflessly served Evergreen's Emergency Shelter Program (ESP) by cooking and delivering over 200 high quality hot breakfasts to our homeless shelter guests. Every night that the ESP shelter has been open Shirley gets up before dawn to cook a variety of delicious breakfasts which she then delivers at 5 AM to whichever church is hosting the shelter for that night. For our shelter guests she is like an angel showing up in the dark to provide a wonderful meal before they leave the shelter facility at 6 AM. Shirley does this without fanfare and frankly without the knowledge of most people in the shelter program or in our Evergreen community.

Valli Crockett
Valii has spent many hours volunteering at the Elks Lodge and is truly dedicated to helping the membership grow and making sure all have fun while at Lodge events, volunteering in our community and she helps to run the organization.

Bill Graf
Besides carrying a heavy load as an attorney, Bill is part of countless other groups in church
and community that need assistance.

2017 Leader of the Year Nominees
Eric Gill
Eric has worked at Bear Paw Rentals which has been in business since 1997 and became the owner 5 years ago. EDBA - member for 20 years and has been involved organizing the Main Street cleanup day for 6 years. He is a DEED, ELF, LID member and has been a Chamber member for 21 years and on the board for 3 years. We asked Eric “What else are you doing?” His reply – “I have been in Rotary for 20 years started in 1998 and have been on several committees. I try to pick a few things a year to do to help out in Rotary. We asked about his volunteer coaching with your kids... “I love going to all the kids’ stuff I try not to miss much. Baseball, soccer, tennis, swim team, hockey, ski team, gymnastics piano lessons, guitar lessons, golf - this was all in the last 12 months!” “I love our church - we are in a small group and we got to go to Israel for 13 days last year.” Eric is also involved in an Alzheimer’s organization in which Bear Paw did their 1st Alzheimer’s walk and raised $4600 last year. Eric was in the Leadership Evergreen class of 1999 and on the board 2000-2003 and then again 2010-2016, in addition to leading modules.

Mike Weege
Mike Weege, Evergreen’s Fire Chief, is being nominated because he has demonstrated creative and innovative solutions to problems in our community in 2017. Mike was instrumental in getting the 2017 Leadership Evergreen class to rally around the wildfire project by helping all class members understand the great need for signs. His willingness and ability to explain details in a way that makes sense to others outside of his field of expertise makes him a natural leader. Besides the personal characteristics of being humble, trustworthy and patient that Mike displays, he also has a well-rounded professional background. Mike has shown that he is interested in getting things done instead of talking about getting things done. The cost of a project of this magnitude is quite large and Mike has utilized key people and agencies in securing funding. Lastly, Mike takes things seriously but has a fun and endearing nature about him that makes him enjoyable to be around which only furthers his ability to be a great community leader.

Warren Rose
Leadership Evergreen is a nonprofit that connects people with Evergreen and the surrounding mountain communities. Warren Rose embodies that vision promoted by Leadership Evergreen. Warren has a unique personality that brings people together. His creative thinking and innovative solutions to issues have helped many nonprofits along with the community as well. Warren has worked tirelessly on a multitude of issues that many would shy away from. From being co-chair of the Capital Campaign for Center for the Arts helping raise funds for the new building to sitting on a transportation advisory board giving the Evergreen area a voice and preventing RTD from cancelling the green buses that many seniors and students rely on to putting Evergreen on the map by breaking the Guinness Book of World Records with the world’s longest picnic table to helping ELID raise awareness for their efforts. Warren helps a countless number of nonprofits all in hopes of making our community bigger and better.

2017 Ambassador of the Year Nominees
Penny Randall
Penny is first to offer her help with any and every event that the Evergreen Chamber puts on.
She can always be relied on to help Chamber staff and new members with anything and everything. She's also a great mentor in the Chamber’s ambassador program. She loves the Evergreen community!

Harry and Shirley Foster
Harry and Shirley work together to mentor new members to the Chamber, get them involved and attend events so they can meet others. They help others connect and grow their business.

Caitlyn Dunbar
Caitlyn Dunbar is a wonderful example of professionalism and selfless volunteering as she gives so much of her time to the Evergreen Chamber. She’s always taking on new mentees and never says no when asked to lend a hand at a Chamber event. The ambassador team is so very lucky to have Caitlyn’s youth, energy and spirit on their team.

Sheree Teller-Hedin
Sheree has a ton of energy that she uses to help Chamber members new and old connect whether it be at a mixer, ribbon cutting or at the Lunch Bunch Leads Group. She has volunteered for many of our committees and loves to lend a hand.

Susanne Robert
Susanne is constantly stepping up to mentor new members and get them acclimated to the Chamber, get connected and grow their businesses. She comes to so many ribbon cuttings we have lost count!

John Ellis
John is a constant joy and fantastic face for the Evergreen community. He faithfully dedicates his time and energy as an Ambassador to build bridges in the community. He seems to be everywhere, sitting on multiple boards and attending just about every event the Evergreen Chamber sponsors. He’s great at bringing people together.

2017 Young Professional of the Year Nominees
Peyton Thomas, Sound Mountain Entertainment
Peyton Thomas does so much for the Evergreen community. Throughout 2017, he and Gary Bird, owners of Sound Mountain Entertainment, have donated their time and equipment for a variety of Evergreen’s events.

Tim Andersen, Roofing Outfitters
Tim recently bought the old quilt building at the corner of Bryant Drive and Highway 74 and is renovating it by using his skills as a roofer and carpenter. Over the past year he has grown his business to the point of needing a bigger and better office.

Caitlyn Dunbar, Edward Jones Financial Advisor
Caitlyn Dunbar demonstrates leadership by taking charge of her career in the financial industry. Starting out fresh, Caitlyn decided to pound the pavement and knock on doors in Hiwan to drum up business. She came to our home and although the timing wasn't right, she didn't give up. She continued to visit with a smile and hopes to secure a deal. Her demeanor and tenacity endeared us to move forward with allowing this young professional to handle monies and give her a start.

2017 Youth of the Year Nominees
Tom Biasi
Tom is always giving and putting others before himself. He is naturally inclusive and sees no other way to be. He manages to keep a positive and optimistic attitude even when he is stressed and overwhelmed. Tom is humble and does not brag about his many accomplishments. He has looked beyond any limitations and set his goals high to improve the lives of others by being involved in the youth community here in Evergreen. Tom is a member of Senate (student council) for four years, President of the Senior Class, Officer of the National Honor Society, and raised $10,000 for the make a wish foundation last year.

Alexa Brown
Alexa had a professional air whenever she was interning in the Chamber office. She was a quick learner, intelligent, dependable and always got the job done! She also has committed hours of volunteer work to National Charity League-a local organization that helps many of our nonprofits. She is a leader in the Evergreen High School Investment Club.