Building Hope Summit County
Otto Reyna, who struggled with his mental health after his tenant died by suicide, is encouraging people in the Latino community to talk about how they are feeling. He s sharing his story as part of the Faces of Hope series, a partnership between Building Hope Summit County and the Summit Daily News.
Photo by Byron Swezy / Dragon Fruit Video
Otto Reyna thinks people need to talk to one another more about the way they’re feeling.
A native of Guatemala, and Summit County resident for nearly 20 years, Otto admits that’s a big ask for people of his Latin culture.
Craig Robelen leads Edgar, a 16-year-old Shetland pony, into the barn Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Breckenridge Equine Center on Tiger Road. He and his wife, Lisa, have relocated a number of rescue and therapy horses to the equine center while the nonprofit Blue River Horse Center looks for a new home.
Photo by Liz Copan / Studio Copan
The Blue River Horse Center nonprofit is looking for a new home and has its sights set on the old Summit County fairgrounds near the base of the Dillon dam.
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Longhill said the center has outgrown its home at a private ranch along the Blue River north of Silverthorne. Last year, he said demand for the center’s activities doubled, with classes ballooning up to 185 from 90 the year prior. Longhill said the organization looked into 15 locations before settling on the old fairgrounds, which have not been used regularly for nearly a decade.
Building Hope Summit County
Breckenridge Grand Vacations CEO Mike Dudick stands in front of the “Let it Snow” Ullr sculpture Nov. 19 at the Grand Colorado on Peak 8 resort. Dudick shared his struggle with alcoholism as part of the Faces of Hope series, a partnership between Building Hope Summit County and the Summit Daily News.
Photo by Liam Doran / Liam Doran Photography
By all accounts, Mike Dudick is an excellent negotiator. He’s a successful marketer, manager and developer, a generous philanthropist, active community leader, and CEO and co-owner of Breckenridge Grand Vacations, the largest year-round employer in Summit County outside of the ski areas.
My mother is a first-generation immigrant to the United States, and we spend a lot of time celebrating her Swiss heritage during the holidays.
Samichlaus, the Swiss version of Santa, would visit on Dec. 6. The doorbell would magically ring, and our stockings would be sitting on the doorstep bursting with cookies and candy and always a toothbrush.
Then on Christmas Eve, we would open our gifts.
When I was a child, it was excruciating to make it through the day. My siblings and I would lie by the tree and hold each gift, maybe shaking it a little, and ask our parents when it would be time to open presents. But we knew the drill: First was a drawn-out dinner of finger foods, then we would light the candles on the tree and sing an endless amount of Christmas songs in English and German. Finally the Christmas cookies would appear, and after what seemed like an eternity, it would be time.
Fafay Grestan, an employee with the Family & Intercultural Resource Center in Silverthorne, carries food supplies in May for a drive-thru food bank. The resource center has seen a significant increase in the demand for the food bank due to the pandemic.
Photo by Jason Connolly / Summit Daily archives
In a difficult year, when so many people and organizations have sacrificed and given back to the community, The Summit Foundation had a different idea for its 2020 Philanthropy Awards. Rather than give out 10 or so awards to individuals and groups, why not give the award to the entire Summit County community after all it’s been through amid the pandemic?