Virginia Christensen Trust funds allocated to aid local organizations


CREEDE—The Creede Board of Trustees approved funding for several projects around the area during their meeting that was held on May 1.
The board receives recommendations for the Virginia Christensen Trust (VCT) Fund from the board that oversees the applications and grant funding annually and have chosen to award several local organizations this year. Over the last several years, the town board has worked with the grant board to make more and more of the funding available to help with local projects.
This year the board approved all of the recommended funding that will used to help, not only beautify the town, but bring new life to old and new events like the Headwaters Music Festival. Two years ago, local business owners and the Town of Creede came together and decided that the one thing the small mountain community was missing was a music festival. After pulling together and forming a board consisting of several local musicians and business owners, the Headwaters Music Festival was born.
The board approved to donate $10,000 to the operating costs needed to put the festival on for the third year in a row. The festival will take place at the end of August and will feature local musicians, live entertainment, food and gift vendors and is a great way to welcome fall with rocking good tunes.
Another organization that was awarded funding was the Mineral County and Creede Chamber of Commerce, not only for operating costs, but also to help with beautification of the building and surrounding parking area. According to Chamber Director Erin Yurkinas, her and her staff spent a majority of time this winter revamping the inside of the chamber with a fresh coat of paint and new furniture donated by local organizations and community members.
Now with the funding donated from the VCT grant, Yurkinas is planning on spending most of it on the outside of the chamber. “The interior revamp is receiving so much wonderful response and I am so proud of what is happening down at the chamber/visitor center. It has sparked excitement and we are now moving to the exterior. The cost of paint is being donated by wonderful local business owners. The plan with the donation is to use part for the cost of labor to paint the exterior. The rest will be for landscaping. I am so excited; we will be creating an eye-catching visitor center that folks will enjoy,” said Yurkinas.
Other organizations that received funding from the grant include the Days of ’92, for their annual mining competition event that takes place over the Fourth of July; the Creede Community Center, in order to update lighting in the building to LED; the Creede Bike Club ,for trail improvement tools; the Creede Community Foundation, for the Fourth of July firework display and the Headwaters Alliance, for flood mitigation and a science camp this summer.


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