City kicks off adopt-a-program fundraising campaign
A fundraising initiative aimed at restoring some of the proposed cuts in parks and recreation and transit next year was officially kicked off Thursday with the announcement of a $2,000 gift from the Colorado Springs Police Protective Association.
“We’ve come up with the name of ‘My Community Investment Campaign,’” said City Councilman Darryl Glenn, who is spearheading the effort. “I think that’s very important because what we’re asking people to do is take ownership in their particular community.”
Mayor Lionel Rivera and Councilman Sean Paige, who joined Glenn at the kick-off event and pledged to help raise money to offset service reductions, said Colorado Springs is a generous community that has shown a willingness to contribute money in the past.
“The city is in dire straits right now,” Paige said. “We can bemoan that fact and decry the fact that we don’t have more revenues or we can embrace new paradigms and new models for how we move forward, and that’s what this is really about.”
Rivera said he planned to utilize his database of faith-based organizations in the fundraising drive.
“Three months is a good amount of time to raise money to see where we can go for all these community centers and other important things that help our seniors and help our disadvantaged kids,” he said.
Donations should be made payable to the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, 730 N. Nevada Ave., 80903, and marked for the benefit of “My Community Investment Campaign.” Starting Friday morning, donations can be made online at www.ppcf.org.
Glenn said donors are encouraged to specify whether their donation is for the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department, the Transit Services Division or a specific program within the department or the division.
