Colorado Lottery Starburst Awards Announce Project Winners For Excellence In 2024

The public announcement of the outcomes for the 2024 Colorado Lottery Starburst Awards has been disclosed.

The Starburst Awards are bestowed upon organizations funded by the Lottery and engaged in statewide protection initiatives.

The Lottery selected eight items for the financial year 2024, considering factors such as creativity and the state’s social and economic impacts. These projects collectively raised over $4 million in lottery funds, which proved beneficial for various purposes, such as:

• Parks
• places that are accessible
• Campgrounds
• Accessibility
• outdoor training
• Equity

Numerous companies are honored by Colorado Lottery Starburst Awards.

Unlike other states that primarily allocate lottery funds for education, Colorado prioritizes investments in the outdoors by fully funding Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). Furthermore, it provides support for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF), and the Outdoor Equity Fund managed by CCW.

The eight winners exemplify how money is effectively utilized in various businesses outside.

Throughout its 40-year history, the Lottery & has successfully gathered more than $4 billion for outdoor initiatives. On a monthly basis, the Lottery allocates approximately 22.8 to 25 cents from every dollar spent on outdoor activities. Additionally, individuals are rewarded with medals equivalent to around 63 cents of each dollar spent.

The Starburst Awards were established in 1992 with the objective of recognizing outstanding contributions to outdoor preservation on a monthly basis. Tom Seaver, the president of the Colorado Lottery, commended the individuals dedicated to enhancing the state of Colorado.

The restoration efforts of The Lotteriey are made possible by the dedicated companions who generously donate lottery funds to important projects throughout the state. Witnessing the utilization of lottery money to establish green areas, animal sanctuaries, and recreational facilities all across the state is truly thrilling. The Starburst contenders for this year, along with an additional program, exemplify the types of initiatives that contribute to making our state the finest in the nation.

The finalists are And and Hellip.

adjustable experiences

Participating in sports days is the way to go.

Grant received by the Organization for Economic Freedom (OEF) is $45,000.

The nonprofit organization, headquartered in Westminster, offers inclusive outdoor activity programs to individuals of all ages, including men with disabilities and their families, regardless of their geographical location, specific requirements, or financial status. The allocated donations were utilized to procure equipment for paddle boarding, swimming, running, and adaptive cycling.

City of Englewood

Renovations are underway for the Pirates Cove Play Structure.

The CTF (Capture the Flag) grant amount is $207,478 for the organization.

Every year, over 100,000 individuals pay a visit to Pirates Cove water facility. In order to enhance its 20-year-old infrastructure, various upgrades were made, including the addition of a new quad slide, fresh paint jobs, as well as several exciting features such as cannons and portal openings.

City of Wheat Ridge

The Prospect Park Project

The organizations, GOCO and CTF, receive a grant of $1,237,970.

With easy access to the nearby Clear Creek Trail and Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, Prospect Park attracts approximately 45,000 visitors each year. The construction of the garden not only replaces the existing outing pavilion but also brings improvements to the surrounding highways and walkways, introducing innovative outdoor activities like volleyball courts and other cutting-edge recreational options.

Crawford Park

Enhancements for Clear Fork Campground

Grant Organization: Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)

New additions have been made to Crawford Park, including fully equipped RV campsites, shade shelters, picnic tables, and enhanced ADA accessibility. Situated east of Black Canyon National Park, this location offers easy access to various outdoor activities such as fishing, waterskiing, swimming, and more on the eastern side.

Environmental Education for Kids

ELK Education Center Project

The Organization has been granted 425,000 GOCO.

The ELK Education Center, a collaboration between Environmental Education for Children (ELK), The Trust for Public Land, and Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR), is now a permanent feature of the Montbello Open Space Park. The center, spanning 7,000 square feet, serves as the hub for ELK’s programs and operations. Additionally, the center incorporates 4.5 acres of green space that is open to the public.

Montrose Recreation District

The task at hand is the renovation of Holly Park.

The organization, GOCO, has received a grant of $214,348.

Last year, the City of Montrose underwent a transformation by painting its basketball courts, park, multifunctional area, and handball courts in a vibrant new shade. The implementation of various enhancements, including increased parking, improved lighting, efficient irrigation systems, and expanded baseball fields, was made possible through the generous $214K grant from GOCO’s Local Park and Outdoor Recreation (LPOR) program.

Effect of cycles

Girls Mountain Bike Program Project

Organization Grant: OEF ($25 billion)

The purpose of developing this program was to ensure that mountain biking is readily available, affordable, and inclusive, with a specific focus on women of color. The establishment of Effect of Cycles aimed to provide equal opportunities for all young women to engage in outdoor activities, particularly mountain biking, in order to foster stronger communities and pave the way for brighter futures.

The town of Estes Park

Thumb Open Space project

GOCO is the name of the organization that has received a grant of $350,000.

The Thumb Open Space is a recently developed 65-acre collaboration between the town of Estes Park and Estes Valley Land Trust (EVLT). The acquisition of the land was made possible through funding, and upcoming conservation endeavors will primarily concentrate on improving the facilities, signage, and monitoring of trails and rock climbing spots within the area, such as the Thumb and Needle.

Also, education is crucial.

While Colorado may give precedence to the outdoors in allocating its lottery earnings, a significant portion of the 2024-2024 fiscal year will still be dedicated to education.

On March 20, the Colorado Lottery achieved its inaugural GOCO income cap. GOCO is entitled to receive half of the total prize money, up to a predetermined limit determined by the previous year’s profits.

Once the target coverage has been achieved, three more resources will be allocated 50% of GOCO and we can proceed with the discussion on them.

BEST( Building Excellent Schools Today ) will receive half of the remaining funds.
• 25% of the remaining half will be allocated to the CPW’s Wildlife Cash Fund, while the other 25% will be designated for the Parks and Outdoor Recreation money resources.

During the previous governmental period, BEST was granted a sum of $9.3 million from the Lottery. It is expected that this figure will surpass $10 million with the inclusion of three or more months to generate profits in FY 2024.