GYPSUM, COLO. (August 17, 2022) – Roundup River Ranch hosted its successful and inspirational annual fundraiser, A Grateful Harvest, on Saturday, Aug. 13 at the campsite. This popular fundraising event raises vital funds for Roundup River Ranch and positively impacts the nonprofit’s annual operating budget and programming it provides to thousands of children living with serious illnesses and their families. Roundup RiverRanch is the only medically supported camp in Colorado that provides comprehensive programming for children with serious illnesses and their families at zero cost. This year’s A Grateful Harvest’s theme was “Together is our Happy Place.”
“Roundup River Ranch gave me life again,” said camper alumni Grace, who was the very first camper at Roundup River Ranch when it opened its gates in 2011. “Camp taught me not only how to be brave, but to embrace courage and to teach others how to do that. Camp is an experience that is like no other – especially for a child with a serious illness.”
The event raised $1.4M, which translates to approximately 25% of the organization’s necessary funds to support onsite and extensive Outreach camp programs, and to maintain its beautiful campsite including all buildings and activities supporting campers and families. The evening kicked off with a wine tasting cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres, followed by dinner from renowned local chef Riley Romanin. While enjoying delectable wines throughout the evening inside Trent’s Cookhouse, attendees embraced emotional camper stories, participated in a live auction and joined in on a Camper Call paddle raise. Roundup River Ranch is proud to be a part of the SeriousFun Children’s Network. Founded by her dad, actor, and philanthropist Paul Newman, Clea Newman Soderlund joined Roundup River Ranch to celebrate this year’s A Grateful Harvest event. She presented the 2022 Paul Newman Legacy Award, a recognition awarded to celebrate individuals who, like Paul Newman, have made a commitment to the long-term sustainability of camp. This year, John Forester, David Horvitz and Francie Bishop Good were honored.
The event concluded with a surprise musical moment with staff, guests, volunteers, families, and campers singing the song “Lean on Me” as a way to honor and recognize long-time founding President & CEO Ruth B. Johnson, JD, who will be retiring at the end of 2022.
“Being an advocate for these families and this organization for the past 17 years has been one of the greatest gifts in my life,” said Ruth B. Johnson, JD, president and CEO of Roundup River Ranch Roundup. “Roundup River Ranch’s impact is critical to bringing happiness and confidence to thousands of lives every single year and I am beyond grateful to our staff, donors, volunteers, and families for helping us create such magical memories for everyone involved. It is because of fundraisers like this that enable our organization to operate efficiently and offer the critical care and life-changing experiences these kids need in their lives.”
Through generous donations, Roundup River Ranch is able to:
- Provide over 5,000 camper experiences year-round
- Offer over 35 programs year-round
- Serve 84% of campers from Colorado with 58% of campers living in the Denver Metro area
- Support children with diagnoses such as congenital or acquired heart disease, lung disease, sickle cell disease, cancer, brain tumors, liver transplants/disease, kidney transplant/disease, and more
A Grateful Harvest was generously sponsored by corporate sponsors Alpine Bank, Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, BluSky, Carter Philanthropy Worldwide, First Western Trust, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, Shepherd Resources Inc,. Vail Health, CordilleraCares, Peak 1 Express, and The Diamond Reserve..
`Roundup River Ranch recently announced the launch of its public Capital Campaign, Roundup the Possibilities. The campaign enlists the help of supporters in order to reach its goal of raising $27M to strengthen future program growth, sustainability, and facility enhancements. To donate, visit RoundupRiverRanch.org/Campaign. For all other questions or inquiries, please visit RoundupRiverRanch.org.
About Roundup River Ranch
Roundup River Ranch enriches the lives of children with serious illnesses and their families by offering free, medically-supported camp programs that provide unforgettable opportunities to discover joy, friendships, and confidence. Annually, hundreds of children coping with cancer, blood disorders, organ transplants, and other serious conditions and their families benefit from Roundup River Ranch’s intentional and empowering camp programs. Roundup River Ranch is located two and a half hours from Denver near Gypsum, Colorado along the Colorado River. Roundup River Ranch is proud to be a member of SeriousFun Children’s Network, a growing global community of innovative camps and programs that provide life-changing support to children with serious illnesses and their families founded by Paul Newman. For more information about Roundup River Ranch, visit RoundupRiverRanch.org or call 970-524-2267.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lindsey Stecki
Palmer Public Inc.
lindsey@palmerpublic.com
(619) 507-5281
