Golden Transcript 

Editorial

November 6, 2003

After a lot of talk during this year's elections about the "in-crowd" wanting to "maintain its power," the Golden Civic Foundation's 28th annual auction and dinner Nov. 1 was an opportunity to take in all the good that people are willing to do for this town.

To the uninformed, it may have seemed like a lot of hoopla. So, a few hundred of the city's bigwigs get together and spend, spend, spend.

But beneath all the jungle decorations in the Denver West Marriott ballroom was the foundation of a community and its volunteers. Beneath the attendees' best evening wear and behind their bidding numbers were the faces and hearts of the community's philanthropists and do-gooders.

It is an amazing feat in and of itself that so many people and businesses donate hundreds of items to be auctioned off each year. Antique heirlooms, personal artwork and business goods are all donated by people who hope their contributions will benefit Golden.

While these donations are full of heart, it would be a stretch to say that many of the items are worth anywhere near as much as bidders spend on them. The fact is, bids come in for hundreds and hundreds of dollars throughout the evening on what amount to consolation prizes for people who really just want to donate to the betterment of their community. They spend and spend and spend on some nice, some silly and some frivolous items as a way to support the Golden Civic Foundation.

The real return on investment for the donors and buyers is the improvement of the community they call home. They know that the foundation has contributed to a variety of civic projects that benefit the entire community.

Since it was created in 1970, the foundation has raised more than $600,000 in funds for the various capital improvement projects in the city. The benefactors are too many to name, but include Table Mountain Inn, the American Mountaineering Center, the Golden Visitors Center and the Golden Hotel to name just a few of the more visible projects.

Another $600,000 has been raised for projects at the city's schools, charities and cultural organizations. Two dozen grants were awarded by the Golden Civic Foundation last year.

And the Golden Civic Foundation also heads up the public art project in downtown that has given us several bronze sculptures by amazing artists.
The projects are a testament to the volunteerism and community pride that make Golden such a wonderful community to live and work in. The people who help pull it all off deserve a round of applause for a job well done, year after year.