4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessbility Celebation on August 10th

Since our first Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration in 2016, we've purchased 3 Action Trackchairs at $13,000+ each, gotten grants from the Rotary Club of Conifer for accessories such as child seats and attendant controls, funded group trips to Staunton by nonprofits who serve those with disabilities, and most recently, thanks to a generous donor, purchased two GRIT chairs that will be available later this summer for use.

Hundreds of visitors with disabilities have been able to reserve these chairs free of charge in order to hike, fish, and enjoy the great outdoors! However, this program has become so popular that reservations are booked out far in advance and we need to grow our capability, plus keep maintaining the batteries, wheels and other items that wear out on the motorized chairs.

Please join us for our 4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration on August 10th as we share our success stories and goals to do even more! We'll have a barbecue, speakers, and hopefully inspire you to donate to support this amazing, ground-breaking program! We thank you all for your consideration and generosity, for we couldn't do this without you.
www.friendsofstauntonstatepark.org/event...en-accessibility-day
When:
August 10, 2019 from 11:00am-2:00pm

Where:
Staunton State Park, 12102 S. Elk Creek Rd, Pine CO 80470

Aj Novotny recommends Friends of Staunton State Park.
July 27 at 2:50 PM ·

I used the track chair today for my first time! It was so awesome! I can’t wait to come back and do it again! Thank you to volunteers Mike & Peyton for showing me how to do it!

It's testimonials like this that fill our hearts and keep us asking you to help support our Staunton State Park - Colorado Parks and Wildlife Track Chair Program with your donations and volunteer time. We hope you'll come join us at our 4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration on August 10th because we'd like to expand this program at Staunton and elsewhere! See here for details on the event or to donate anytime: www.friendsofstauntonstatepark.org/event...en-accessibility-day

The track chair program at Staunton is so awesome! We had a great time enjoying this gorgeous park. Our volunteer for the day, Bob, was perfect! Could not have had a better day

Thank you so much from all of us!
The Harting family

Help make more family memories like this possible by supporting our Mark Madsen Accessibility Fund at our 4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration this Saturday, August 10th, or donate online today! www.friendsofstauntonstatepark.org/event...en-accessibility-day

With much gratitude,
Friends of Staunton State Park

We’re all set up and ready to celebrate - come join us at the Ranch Hand Picnic Area up the hill from the entrance Station/Visitor Center!

Francie Louise was so kind as to not only come speak at our Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration last Saturday, but also create a fundraiser on her own page so we can purchase a 4th Action trackchair for Staunton State Park - Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The Staunton Track Chair Program to date has allowed over 250 park visitors with disabilities to get out and hike and fish with friends and family using these trackchairs for free. The 3 trackchairs we currently have are booked out weeks in advance and we'd love to expand the program to allow more people to enjoy the great outdoors!

As Francie mentioned on her Facebook Post (which contains the video of her speech), we do indeed have an anonymous donor who has offered to match every donation made until August 24th and up to $10,000 total. As of today, we have raised $8,090 plus another $300 from her two fundraisers - we're almost there! We would appreciate any support you could give, whether monetary or by simply passing along this post (you'll have to click back to our Friends of Staunton State Park Facebook Page to do so). Donations can also be made to us directly through PayPal on our website here: www.friendsofstauntonstatepark.org/event...en-accessibility-day or through our Profile Page on ColoradoGives.org: www.coloradogives.org/FriendsofStauntonStatePark/overview

Thank you!!!

Our time period to have donations matched by our anonymous donor is almost at a close - this Saturday is the deadline if you would like to pitch in and support a program that brings smiles to faces and joy in the hearts of all who can get out and enjoy the outdoors! Donate on Ashley's Facebook fundraiser (link below) or our website here: www.friendsofstauntonstatepark.org/event...en-accessibility-day

Thank you Ashley for your inspiring words below and for speaking at our 4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessibility Fundraiser. Your enthusiasm, positive attitude, and encouragement are a ray of sunshine and we hope to see you often at Staunton!

From Ashley's Fundraiser:

"It was such a liberating day at Staunton State Park - Colorado Parks and Wildlife TODAY! You can't sabotage your potential because you feel less physical, the only limitations you have are the limitations you allow.

My son was able to enjoy our first hike ever... Together!!! He has been raising funds in our neighborhood with a #lemonade stand for me to buy an Action Trackchair and his last wish of the summer to go hiking and I knew of no better opportunity then here!

Thanks to ALL the dedicated and awesome park volunteers and staff for the enjoyment of the beautiful park. The staff, volunteers, and leadership is beyond amazing and this job isn't just a passion, this is what makes their heart sing. THEY MADE MY HEART SING TODAY! Thank you

TODAY was the 4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessibility Celebration Fundraiser - we had a grill out and I was honored to #support and #speak at the annual fundraiser to help support the 1st groundbreaking @Staunton Track Chair Program. PLEASE DONATE... ***Every dollar raised is matched buy an anonymous donor!!!***"

Thank you Deborah Swearingen for your lovely write-up about our Staunton Track Chair Program and 4th Annual Mark Madsen Accessibility Fundraiser with the goal of raising enough to purchase a 4th Action Trackchair (estimated cost around $15,000). Now is your last chance to make a donation that will be matched by our wonderful anonymous donor! Send it via PayPal here: www.friendsofstauntonstatepark.org/event...en-accessibility-day

Thank you everyone! You humble us with your generous hearts.

www.canyoncourier.com/content/making-nat...ogram-continues-grow

We are THRILLED to announce that thanks to the amazing generosity of donors and supporters of accessibility to the outdoors, we have raised enough funds to purchase a 4th Action Trackchair! Our deepest gratitude to each of you who gave money, time, shared our stories, and started your own fundraisers to help out. We are beyond the moon!

The Action Trackchair has been ordered and should be here around mid-September with the plan to put it into use immediately before the Track Chair Program ends its 2019 season. We couldn't do any of this without the participation of the Staunton Volunteers who go out with each Trackchair hike and our park staff who are behind this program 100%. If you'd like to join our special group of volunteers so we can expand the days that hikes are offered (currently Friday through Sunday), please contact the park at 303-816-0912 and ask for Natalie.

Our thanks to reporter Seth Towle from Denver Channel 7 for coming up and highlighting the program and how important it is to those with disabilities. Watch the video of the story below:


Staunton State Park's track-chair program making outdoors more accessible for all
By Sean Towle
Aug 28, 2019

STAUNTON STATE PARK, Colo. — Enjoying the outdoors is why many people come to Colorado — whether it be to live or for vacation. But getting outdoors in the first place can be tough some because of their age or disabilities, which is why Staunton State Park in Conifer has a program that changes all that, and it's becoming quite the draw.

“Super busy. Reservations all the way out. First month, they fill up for the whole summer. People are absolutely loving it,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Annie Thran.

The park has three chairs and just raised enough to buy a fourth in order to provide more families, like the Poores, special opportunities in the wilderness.