Bootstraps 2016 Recap, Applications Open for 2017 Scholarships, & Dates to Save!

Thank you for making 2016 another great year for graduating high school seniors in the mountain area. Your support allowed Bootstraps to assist 79 local young adults to begin a new chapter in their lives and pursue their educational dreams.

You helped us do a lot in 2016. Here are some of the highlights:

- Bootstraps awarded $202,000 in new and continuing scholarships and interest-free loans. The total assistance provided by the community through Bootstraps is over $3.5 million since 1945.

- The continuing loan fund was doubled from $25,000 to $50,000 thanks to a grant from a private foundation and gifts made at the Pop Up Restaurant in August. The fund has been renamed the Mountain Community Bootstraps Loan Fund with a goal of helping area students avoid high-interest student loans.

- Proceeds from Wine on the Rocks were used to purchase a cloud-based scholarship management system. The system will help us manage applications and scholarships more efficiently freeing up time to offer more one-on-one mentoring for Bootstraps recipients.

- The Rocky Mountain Literary Festival was so successful the amount donated for scholarships was more than double that of 2015.

- Gifts made specifically for scholarships and loans were matched at 25% from Bootstraps general operating funds and will continue to be matched in 2017.

With your continued support, we're looking forward to an even more wonderful 2017 for our local students. Thank you for making a difference in their lives!

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**2017 Bootstraps Application Deadline is January 28, 2017**

The all new and improved Bootstraps application for scholarships and loans is open and ready for eager graduating high school seniors to submit their information. Eligibility information and a link to the application are found here.

Each year, with the help of our generous donors, Bootstraps awards approximately $200,000 in scholarships and interest-free loans to mountain-area graduating high school seniors. If you know someone who may be interested in applying, please share this information with her or him.

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**Save the Dates**

All of your favorite Bootstraps events from 2016 will be back in 2017. We want you to have fun while supporting mountain-area youth pursuing their educational dreams.

Pete Martinez in Concert Benefiting Bootstraps
April 27, 2017
The festivities will begin at 6:00 pm at the Evergreen Lake House with food, drink, and mingling with your friends. Nashville recording artist Pete Martinez and his band will take the stage at 7:00 to entertain you with some of Pete's original hits and many of your favorite country tunes.

Bootstraps Pop Up Restaurant
June 23 and June 24, 2017
Stay tuned for more details.

Wine on the Rocks
August 5, 2017
This wine tasting festival sold out in May last year, so don't wait to buy your tickets. Bootstraps is providing the volunteers for this event and we will need 75 of you. If you'd like free admission in exchange for four hours of your time on the day of the event, visit the Bootstraps Get Involved web page.

Rocky Mountain Literary Festival
October 21, 2017 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
Mount Vernon Country Club
Tickets go on sale early summer.

Happy New year to you and your loved ones!
The Bootstraps Board of Directors