WEEK OF JULY 17, 2025
VOLUME 130 | ISSUE 20
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Pioneer celebration marks Fourth of July Capacity grows at Food Bank of the Rockies
Elbert County Museum holds 25th annual gathering in Kiowa
New facility is slated to be functioning this winter
BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
On the Fourth of July, people milled happily around the grounds of the Elbert County Museum in Kiowa. Friends and neighbors greeted each other as they came together for the 25th Annual Pioneer 4th Celebration, a drop-in event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event featured a museum open house and set the stage not only to celebrate the United States but Elbert County as well. “Our 25th Annual Pioneer Fourth Celebration is a family-friendly day filled with old-fashioned fun and games,” said Joe Martell, Elbert County Historical Society president. In addition to the open house and a silent auction, the event featured live music, games, a pie baking contest, cake walk and more. A picnic lunch including grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and fresh watermelon was available throughout the day. Entries for the homemade pie baking contest were welcomed and encouraged, Martell said. In the adult category, Cherie Wyatt won the $50 first place prize and Jaece Pence won $25 for first place in the kids category. The silent auction followed immediately at 1 p.m., with all proceeds going to the museum. “The Pioneer Fourth is such a great event because it’s the quintessential small town Fourth of July celebration,” Martell said, “with kids running around, hamburgers and hot dogs grilling, and folks from all walks of life coming together — all within the backdrop of the county museum.” Elizabeth resident Stephanie Claassen says that her family has made the Pioneer Fourth Celebration a tradition. “We enjoy the close-knit community feel of the event and how friendly and personable everyone is from the stewards of the museum to the folks manning the kids’ games and face painting,” she said. “And the cake walk is a family favorite!” For more information about the Elbert County Museum, as well as other events, visit elbertcountymuseum.org. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday during the summer months through Aug. 31, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
BY ISABEL GUZMAN IGUZMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Longtime Elbert County resident Eric Whitman and Elbert County Museum volunteer Debbie Scoggin point PHOTOS BY NICKY QUINBY out historical events on a museum map.
The Elbert County Historical Society & Museum, located at 515 Comanche St.(Highway 86) in Kiowa, is open for the summer until Aug. 31, Thursday through Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM PIONEER 4TH CELEBRATION: PAGE 4
VOICES: 10 | CALENDAR: 14 | PUZZLES: 15
In Colorado, one in eight people, and one in seven children struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, which is a national hunger-relief charity. With the proposed new restrictions on SNAP eligibility, Food Bank of the Rockies is preparing for growing needs. This winter, the food bank will open a new distribution center in Aurora on East 38th Avenue that spans 270,000 square-feet. The new building will double the cold storage space the organization has for fresh and frozen food, quadruple the kitchen space and triple its volunteering capacity from the current main distribution center at 10700 E. 45th Ave. in Denver. “We are seeing this increased need that’s coming at a time when just in the last several months, we have lost about 7% of Food Bank of the Rockies’ total food supply in government commodity food,” said Ering Pulling, the organization’s president and CEO. “That’s why this new building can’t come soon enough.” The new facility emerges from Food Bank of the Rockies’ $75 million capital campaign, funded by donors. The food bank is 15% away from its financial goal and Cal Fulenwider, the capital campaign committee chair, and the Fulenwider Family Foundation are providing a $500,000 matching gift. Amid a slash in government support, Pulling said the new facility is ahead of schedule and costs remain under budget, providing a hopeful glance into the future of the food bank’s new distribution center. For Martha King, a volunteer for the food bank since 2020, the bigger space for volunteers to efficiently transport and package food is what she’s looking forward to the most. “At (the Denver distribution center), we’re always bumping into each other. It’s like I-25 rush hour,” she said. Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest food bank organization in the region, serving WySEE FOOD BANK, P12
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