MINERAL COUNTY — After a year off, the Friends of Mineral County Emergency Services announced it will be hosting its annual fundraising events throughout the summer in addition to its bi-annual appreciation dinner in August.

Though details are still being finalized, the event is billed as family-friendly and a way to thank the people who serve the Creede and Mineral County community.

Creede and Mineral County are in the heart of the Rio Grande National Forest and secluded from some basic necessities. Though rare, groceries can be hard to come by on occasion and if there is any type of emergency, beyond the local emergency responders, help can be far away. The community and surrounding neighbors have come together every two years to host an event where they raise money and say thank you to the people who put their life on the line to help, including Mineral County Sheriff’s Department, Mineral County Fire, Mineral County Ambulance Services, Search and Rescue and everyone who responds when an emergency occurs.

Carl Hill and his wife began this fundraiser in 2011 and it has raised over $200,000.

The event has grown immensely since 2011 and can no longer be held at the underground community center in Creede. It had to be relocated to the Virginia Christensen Multi-Use Facility. All proceeds from the event go directly to emergency services throughout the county to help with purchasing equipment, training and other necessities. 

Now, 10 years down the road Friends of Mineral County Emergency Services is "a 501c3 non-profit organization made up of men and women, many of whom are emergency responder volunteers themselves, who share a passionate desire to give back to the community of Creede and its volunteers. We come from all walks of life, all ages, all different life experiences. Simply, we are a group of people who genuinely want to help the community we enjoy so much. FOMCES was organized to raise money in support of Creede & Mineral County’s Search & Rescue (SAR), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Fire Department, and all the Emergency Responder Volunteers. Each year we host a number of fundraisers to ensure our invaluable community of Emergency Responder Volunteers have the advanced equipment and training they need to navigate this vast wilderness.”

Besides the bi-annual dinner, the organization will be hosting a golf tournament at the Rio Grande Club and Resort on Sunday, July 25, a pickleball tournament at the Virginia Christensen Multi-Use Facility on Friday, Aug. 6, fly fishing excursions, and more with details coming soon.