The Chamber will use these funds to replace the two upper windows on the east side of the Kit Carson Pool Hall,
which is listed on the National and State Historical Registries. One of them has recently broken, and replacing both would be ideal. This building is central to many of our community activities such as birthday parties, family reunions, dances, bridal & baby showers, as well as the annual Kit Carson Day Melodrama.
The Kit Carson Chamber of Commerce serves to promote and support the local businesses. It also sponsors the annual Kit Carson
Day, a long held tradition spanning over 60 years! For many, the highlight of Kit Carson Day is the Melodrama, which hosts a family night /free night for Residents of Cheyenne Manor, Prairie Pines, & Weisbrod Nursing Home, as well as three
other performances throughout the week. These performances are held in the Kit Carson Pool Hall, which seats over 100 guests. The Chamber has also sponsored other community activities, such as Small Business Saturday, Santa Day, & the Annual Gar-Yard Sale, many of which take place in the Pool Hall.
In the past few years, the Kit Carson Fire Department has taken on a more extensive roll in community projects and fund raising. Several years ago, we took over the whole process of the Kit Carson Day BBQ, including buying ingredients, prepping, cooking, serving and clean up and storage. We have also been involved in utilizing the fire station, in particular the meeting room and kitchen area for local fund raising events, mostly in the summer months. We hold an annual Victims Assistance fund raiser during July to raise funds to assist local individuals who are struggling with medical or health issues. This grant would be utilized to install an air conditioning unit in the meeting area, upgrade to a commercial style freezer for more storage of BBQ leftovers until they could be distributed to local people who need assistance, as well as upgrading our kitchen supplies and BBQ serving area for better flow and ease of use. The KC Day BBQ and all other fund raisers are separate from any tax funds that are paid to the West Cheyenne Fire Protection District.
The Kit Carson Historical Society, owner and operator of the Old Depot Museum, requests the grant to perform maintenance to
it's property. This current maintenance project includes painting the Old Depot Museum.
The Kit Carson Historical Society dedicates its efforts to collection, display and preservation of this area’s heritage and history
and, promotes outreach and education for residents and visitors to this region. Our purpose is to provide an environment where any member of the public can observe and learn about the culture of Colorado’s eastern plains. The Old Depot Museum is
open seven days per week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The museum is staffed by local volunteers who provide between 800 and 900 hours each summer as museum hosts. The Historical Society does not charge admission to the museum but instead, asks for donations from visitors. All donations are used to further the mission of the Historical Society. The Old Depot Museum houses
artifacts of Colorado’s eastern plains. The artifacts have been loaned or donated mostly by area families. The exhibits typify all periods of history and walks of life in eastern Colorado. Prehistoric periods are represented by aboriginal artifacts and faunal remains. The historic periods represented in the collections include railroad history, farming history, homesteading history and ranching history.
The proposed project is to design, create, and implement a community facing, student led CTE Store in Kit Carson. In addition to
strengthening partnerships, the Innovative Store will address three of Colorado CTE’s goals: career advising & development, quality CTE programs, and work based learning. This project will erase equity gaps in CTE, for special populations, by offering those students real world opportunities to participate in and promote autonomy. The CTE Store will be stocked with products that KCSD students develop and manufacture to sell to community members and travelers. Kit Carson students will be responsible for managing the entirety of the operation with assistance from Kit Carson school district staff and community partners. Richard
Gekeler, AG Instructor and CTE Coordinator will provide oversight along with the collaboration of other instructors, CTE Advisory Board, Kit Carson Chamber of Commerce, Town of Kit Carson and the CRD. In addition, several community
members have offered to volunteer their time to mentor students in entrepreneurship principles and skills training. Community partners will offer their expertise to help students learn new trades such as fabrication or design. This will provide an excellent opportunity for the work-based learning needed as part of CTE and graduation requirements, as well as strengthen ties between the school, community, and stakeholders. Students will learn human capital management, supply-chain management, manufacturing, marketing, sales, accounting, and customer service. The opportunity offers work-force readiness skills to students and/or provides the entrepreneurial skills for a student to open their own business. A hope for the program leadership is that students will create new sustainable businesses in Kit Carson, leveraging the CTE store as a business incubator.
ECB donated $5,000 to help pave the parking lot and replace the sewer line for the Burlington Senior Center.
ECB has donated $1,000 to Partners in Housing to help provide transitional housing an supportive services to help homeless families with children locate employment improve their education, income and personal well-being.
Eastern Colorado Bank has donated $2,000 to the Burlington Community Ballfield Project with our 2021 Giving Back - Looking Forward Grant. The Burlington Community Ballfield Project is building a sun shelter over the bleachers and dugouts of the middle school fields.
ECB donated $2,000 to Prairie Family Center to help provide and deliver food boxes to senior citizens in Kit Carson County Colorado.
ECB donated $500 to the CASA of the Pikes Peak Region to help in funding to recruit, train and manage volunteers to serve the influx of abused and neglected children entering the child welfare program.
ECB donated $2,500 to the Catholic Charities of Central Colorado to help provide emergency support for families and parents with children who are engaged with Life Coaching a.k.a. family-strengthening case management.
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