The Friends of Lory State Park has been presented with a $500 grant by the Fort Collins Eyeopeners Kiwanis Club. The grant was designated to support the Friends’ “Get the Kids Outside” Environmental Education Scholarship Grants Program.
“The Eyeopeners Kiwanis Club has done outstanding work in our community,” said Rick Bunch, President of the Friends of Lory State Park Board of Directors. “We look forward to working with them in many ways in the future. Thank you for this generous grant.”
The GKO Scholarship Grant provides funds to underserved schools for transportation to bring students to the Park for field trips. Volunteer naturalists in the park deliver a variety of high-quality outdoor programs to students that explore the park’s geology, wildlife, cultural history, botany, orienteering and so much more. Programs are developed to meet state STEM standards but still ensure that the kids have a great outdoor experience.
The Fort Collins Eyeopeners Kiwanis Club has a history with Lory State Park. In 2013, the Galena Fire swept through a portion of the park destroying or damaging many trees, vegetation and wildlife, which takes time to recover. It also destroyed ten bridges on the most used trails, making them impassable in spots. Led by Ron Splittgerber, the Kiwanians not only volunteered alongside park staff and other local volunteers to rebuild those bridges, they also designed and funded most of the rebuilt structures. It was a generous gesture of community-building in keeping with the Kiwanis mission.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, “one child and one community at a time.” Kiwanis International provides worldwide help to children, while each local club utilizes profits from fundraising to primarily help their own community.
The name “Kiwanis, ” coined from a Native American expression, Nunc Kee-wanis, means “we trade” or “we share our talents.” Kiwanians are community members who volunteer time, energy and talent to make a difference through service to children and communities.
The Friends of Lory State Park is a non-profit group of volunteers dedicated to the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Park and to providing support to Park management to help them meet their goals.
Through volunteer assistance and fundraising support, the Friends group works to foster stewardship, enhance educational and recreational opportunities and advocates quality programs for visitors of all ages and abilities.
