Colorado Garden Foundation Sends Highland High School Graduate To Colorado State University

Dakotah Dunn to attend CSU this Fall

DENVER (May 24, 2018) – Colorado Garden Foundation (CGF), a non-profit that funds horticultural-specific projects and scholarships throughout Colorado, has awarded a full-ride scholarship to Dakotah Dunn 2018 graduate of Highland High School in Ault to pursue an agriculture education career. CGF gave out ten additional scholarships including one to Casey DeField, 2018 graduate of Green Mountain High School in Lakewood.

The CGF scholarship program provides financial aid to students attending a college or university in Colorado. There are currently four full ride CGF backed students attending Colorado State University, (CSU) Dunn will make five when she starts this fall.

“Every year, we look forward to awarding scholarships to bright young students who have a passion for agriculture or horticulture,” said Jim Fricke, Colorado Garden Foundation executive director. “Dakotah (Dunn) really stood out because of her drive and passion for agriculture. We are honored to support her goal of educating future generations. We are truly inspired by her and hope that this scholarship allows her to continue her great work.”

At age 17, Dunn has many accomplishments under her belt already. Including president of her local Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapters, captain of her cheer team and a four sport athlete. All of her activities have been a means to her end goal; educating people about the important role agriculture plays in our everyday lives and being a mentor for future students.

When asked what the scholarship would mean to her Dunn said, “I don’t want my mom to have the burden of putting me through college, this will give back to my family what they’ve done for me my whole life.”

The full ride scholarship Dunn received includes tuition, fees, room and board and all required books for all four years of college. In addition, she will get a laptop computer and printer at the start of the school year.

The recent scholarships bring CGF’s 2018 total awards to more than $700,000 in scholarships and grants. Earlier this year CGF gave out more than $560,000 in horticulture-related grants including matching grants of $30,500 awarded by Bellco Credit Union, to nearly 60 organizations. This year’s two largest non-profit grant winners were Denver Botanic Gardens, of Denver, and High Plains Helping Hands, of El Paso County.

Grants and scholarships are awarded from ticket proceeds generated at the CGF’s two annual shows: Colorado Garden & Home Show and Colorado Fall Home Show. Since the 1970s, Colorado Garden Foundation has awarded more than $8.3 million to more than 300 organizations in Colorado. To learn about the grants and scholarship program, please visit ColoradoGardenFoundation.org.

About Colorado Garden Foundation

Colorado Garden Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3), provides funds for horticultural-related grants and scholarships for the benefit of Colorado. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $8.3 million for horticultural projects and scholarships throughout the state. Colorado Garden Foundation presents the Colorado Fall Home Show focusing on home renovation, remodeling and sustainable living and the Colorado Garden & Home Show, the Rocky Mountain region’s largest, oldest and most prestigious consumer garden and home improvement show west of the Mississippi in February. For more information, visit ColoradoGardenFoundation.org, facebook.com/coloradogardenfoundation or Twitter @cogardenfdn

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Colorado Garden Foundation Sends Two Graduating Senior to Colorado State University on Full Scholarship this Fall

Scholarships bring total 2017 contribution to $706,813

DENVER (June 15, 2017) – Colorado Garden Foundation (CGF), a non-profit that funds horticultural-specific
projects and scholarships throughout Colorado, has awarded two full-ride scholarships to graduating Colorado seniors, to pursue agriculture and horticulture related careers.

CGF’s executive director and members of its board spent two days, and traveled 1,100 miles, to interview candidates across the state for its scholarship program, which is in
its eleventh year. After narrowing an exceptional list of candidates down to just two finalists, the Board made the decision to award a full ride at Colorado State University
to not one, but two candidates.

Tyler Camblin of Holyoke, Colo. will attend CSU this fall, where he will study soil & crop science and agriculture business with plans to become an agronomist.
He intends to “soak up the knowledge of many professionals who will teach [him] how [he] can help the future of farming and prepare [him] to be an asset to the industry
that feeds the world,” according to his application.

CGF awarded a second full ride scholarship to CSU to Mary Fuchs of Monte Vista, Colo. Fuchs will attend this fall, studying environmental horticulture with plans to become
a natural resource specialist. She plans to “double major in environmental horticulture and foreign language to help make communication between countries regarding the
environment easier,” according to her application.

“This was a special year for our interview committee, as we simply could not decide between these two outstanding candidates,” said Jim Fricke, executive director of
Colorado Garden Foundation. “Proceeds generated from our annual Colorado Garden & Home Show and Colorado Fall Home Show are what make these scholarships possible,
and we’re grateful and honored to contribute to not just one, but two talented and deserving students, who will do great things in the fields of agriculture and
horticulture in the years to come.”

With these two full scholarships, CGF brings its annual scholarship and grant giving total to $706,813 in 2017, and more than $7.8 million across the state to date.
Included within this 2017 figure was $521,972 in grants, including matching grants of $22,350 provided by Bellco, to 61 Colorado
organizations for horticulture-related projects.

The two major grants awarded include a grant of $75,000 to Sewall Child Development Center, to help build a new sensory garden at the school. The second grant is for
Englewood Schools for the amount of $74,341, to fund a new greenhouse at the school.

Sewall Child Development Center, an inclusive early childhood program that serves children of all backgrounds and abilities, including those with special needs, will apply the
grant funds to an outdoor sensory garden that can serve as an additional educational environment. Adjacent to the more formalized play environment, the garden will be organized
around natural materials designed to stimulate all five senses and encourage hands-on, multi-sensory, and social learning. Students from the headquarters and nine satellite
locations will have year-round access to the garden.

“With this grant and our new sensory garden, we will be able to apply therapeutic horticulture techniques into Sewall’s transdisciplinary educational and intervention model,
providing a safe, non-threatening space that serves as an opportunity for sensory interaction and ongoing early education for our students,” said Heidi Heissenbuttel,
President and CEO for Sewall Child Development Center. “The grounds will also be available to our surrounding neighbors in Congress Park, as a neighborhood space when
our academic schedule allows, making this garden a true asset to our community in more ways than one.”

Englewood Schools will use their grant funding to construct a commercial-sized greenhouse to support student learning through a series of four classes
(Intro to Agriscience, Biology of Sustainable Agriculture, Water and Soil Chemistry in Agriculture, and Entrepreneurship Through Agribusiness). These courses are designed
specifically around sustainable agricultural and horticultural practices, and farm to table operations for high school students in the Denver metropolitan area.

The ultimate goal for the greenhouse will be for students to grow enough vegetables and greens to satisfy the needs of food services for the entire Englewood school district,
and eventually begin to explore other entrepreneurial options such as supplying boutique items including micro-greens and vegetables to local restaurants and catering companies.

Other Colorado Garden Foundation grants range from $200 to $15,000, with funds supporting community gardens, greenhouses, a horticulture therapy program, a healing garden,
a children’s reading garden, landscape and trail improvements, a bird habitat and educational gardens and programs, just to name a few.

Since the 1970s, Colorado Garden Foundation has awarded more than $7.8 million to more than 300 organizations in Colorado.
To learn about the grants and scholarship program, please visit ColoradoGardenFoundation.org.

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About Colorado Garden Foundation

Colorado Garden Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3), provides funds for horticultural-related grants and scholarships for the benefit of Colorado.
To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $7.8 million for horticultural projects and scholarships throughout the state. Colorado Garden Foundation presents the
Colorado Fall Home Show focusing on home renovation, remodeling and sustainable living and the Colorado Garden & Home Show, the Rocky Mountain region’s largest, oldest and
most prestigious consumer garden and home improvement show west of the Mississippi in February. For more information, visit ColoradoGardenFoundation.org,
facebook.com/coloradogardenfoundation or Twitter @cogardenfdn

2017 Colorado Garden Foundation Annual Grants

ORGANIZATION CITY AWARDED
ACE Mentor Program of Colorado Denver $5,000
Adams County 4-H Brighton $2,100
Alzheimer’s Association Denver $7,500
Anchor Center for Blind Children Denver $3,000
Audubon Society of Greater Denver Littleton $3,000
Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center Fairplay $7,000
Bluff Lake Nature Center Denver $5,000
Boulder Jewish Community Center/Milk & Honey Farm Boulder $5,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Denver $5,000
Brighton Montessori School Brighton $2,500
Byers-Evans House Museum Denver $2,100
Castle Rock Adventist Hospital (CRAH) Castle Rock $15,000
Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. Denver $5,000
Colorado Future Farmers of America Foundation Greeley $2,000
Colorado Master Gardener Program Fort Collins $5,000
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center DBA GreenLeaf Denver $5,000
Colorado Outward Bound School Denver $7,000
Colorado State University Extension, Tri River Area Fort Collins $7,500
Common Earth Community Garden Arvada $10,000
Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School (DMHS) Denver $8,300
Denver Public Schools Denver $10,000
Douglas County Parenting Coalition and Douglas County Open Space Division Castle Rock $500
Dumb Friends League Denver $5,000
Durango Botanical Society Durango $7,500
Englewood Schools Englewood $74,341
Family Tree, Inc. Wheat Ridge $7,500
Feeding Many, Inc. Littleton $5,000
Growing Colorado Kids a project of CNDC Commerce City $5,450
Habitat for Humanity of Colorado Lakewood $15,000
Hearts ‘n’ Hands Work Enrichment Golden $10,000
High Plains Environmental Center Loveland $8,288
High Valley Community Center, Inc. Del Norte $5,000
Holyoke High School Agricultural Education Department Holyoke $2,000
Jovial Concepts Lakewood $4,640
La Puente Home, Inc. Alamosa $15,000
Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas Salida $4,575
Mackintosh Academy Littleton $4,601
Majestic View Nature Center/City of Arvada Arvada $5,000
Monarch PreK-8 School, Boulder Valley School District Louisville $200
Mountain Roots Food Project Gunnison $3,000
Mountain Song Community School Colorado Springs $1,200
Neighborhood Housing Services of Pueblo Pueblo $5,000
Pathways Fort Collins $5,000
PlatteForum Denver $6,500
Prairie Pines Assisted Living Eads $7,500
Pueblo Zoological Society Pueblo $15,000
Ricardo Flores Magón Academy Denver $6,147
Riverhouse Children’s Center Inc. Durango $2,000
San Isabel Land Protection Trust Westcliffe $3,000
Seniors’ Resource Center, Inc. Denver $5,800
Sewall Child Development Center Denver $75,000
Sprout City Farms Denver $9,630
Stedman Elementary PTA Denver $6,100
Tennyson Center for Children Denver $15,000
The Colorado Teen Project (CTP) Golden $7,500
The Growing Project Fort Collins $4,500
The Park People Denver $10,000
The Salvation Army, a California corporation Denver $5,000
Windsor FFA Chapter Windsor $10,000
Yampatika Outdoor Awareness Association Steamboat $2,500
Young Americans Center Denver $15,000
TOTAL $521,972