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2021 CPRA Byline Magazine Photo Contest Winners
BEST OF SHOW: Nancy Baum, Aurora
Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 CPRA Byline magazine Photo Contest, and thank you to everyone who entered! Winners were selected through online voting. Nancy Baum of Aurora’s photo “Ruby Baum & Spring Blooms” won best of show and she receives a free registration for the 2021 Virtual CPRA Conference in October. Nice work, everyone!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
And the winner is...
By Daniel Bewley, Public Outreach Manager, Colorado Lottery
The Colorado Lottery takes tremendous pride in its unique mission as the only lottery in the world whose proceeds overwhelmingly go toward supporting the outdoors. Through our beneficiaries (Great Outdoors Colorado, the Conservation Trust Fund, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and Building Excellent Schools Today), the Lottery has given over $3.7 billion to fund projects that connect more people to nature, while also protecting those natural spaces so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. From trails and tennis courts, to schools and state parks, it’s easy to lose track of all the amazing things made possible in part with Lottery dollars. In order to take a step back, and recognize those projects that go above and beyond in their use of Lottery funds, we created the annual Starburst Awards. When choosing the winners, we look for innovative projects that make a meaningful impact, whether those are economic benefits, or a deeper social significance the project brings to a community. This year’s eleven Starburst Award recipients undoubtedly live up to that standard, and then some. They reflect the incredible diversity of organizations and project types that utilize Lottery funded grants, in addition to the breathtaking geographic diversity of Colorado, representing cities, towns, and wilderness across the state. Over $10 million in Lottery proceeds went into the 2021 winning projects, but it’s the remarkable things our winners did with those funds that earned them this distinction. Here are just a few examples: • Breathe new life into aging parks – Cañon City was able to dream big when replacing the 30-year-old playground in their most popular park, and instead of a new development,
Longmont chose to reinvest in an older neighborhood by revitalizing the Garden Acres Community Park. • Preserve thousands of acres of land – Larimer County added onto an already impressive swath of land in the
Laramie Foothills, while Eagle County achieved a decadeslong community goal with the acquisition and conservation of the (formerly) Hardscrabble Ranch. • Ensure the outdoors are for everyone – Several projects included accessibility improvements to their playgrounds and facilities, such as the newly constructed fishing pier at
Barr Lake State Park, which was built to accommodate all park visitors, including those with mobility challenges.
After a year of virtual award presentations, the 2021 Starburst season is in full swing! The Lottery has been traveling all across Colorado to present the awards at different events that showcase the winning projects. We took part in the grand opening celebration of Meeker’s Circle Park fishing pond, cheering on the inaugural catch and many others that day. In June, we were delighted to present the award at Montrose’s Fun on the Uncompahgre (FUNC) Festival, with hundreds coming out to enjoy the festivities along the same trail that earned the accolade. We look forward to more events in the coming months, and the opportunity to see these fantastic projects, and what they mean to the community, firsthand. The Starburst Awards give us a chance to celebrate the tireless work that goes into achieving some ambitious goals, both large and small, as well as the dedicated people that help make Colorado such an amazing place to live, visit, and explore.
Congratulations to all our winners!
North Fork Recreation was presented the Starburst Award at the Crossroads Park Ballfields ribbon cutting ceremony. Play ball!
The new Rouse Park playground re-opened earlier this year, with one young visitor giving it “five thumbs up!”
2021 Colorado Lottery Starburst Award Recipients
City of Thornton
City of Craig
North Fork Recreation District > Big Dry Creek Project
> Breeze Park
> Crossroads Ballfields
Barr Lake State Park > ADA Fishing Pier City of Montrose / Montrose Recreation District >Connect Trail Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District > Rouse Park Larimer County Dept. of Natural Resources > Laramie Foothills Mountains to Plains Expansion City of Longmont > Garden Acres Park Colorado Fourteeners Initiative > Mt. Columbia Trail Restoration E. Rio Blanco Metro Recreation & Park District > Circle Park Pond Eagle County Open Space > Brush Creek Valley Ranch and Open Space
