In August, when I was initially planning this year’s Horizons Wine & Dine with co-chairs Alicia Rosenfield-Layton and Caity Barton, we were all uncertain about whether we would be able to hold an in-person event due to COVID-19 restrictions. After lots of brainstorming and going back and forth, together with Colorado Academy, we made the decision that this beloved community-building event in support of Horizons at Colorado Academy was the exact experience needed after such a long hiatus of not being able to gather in person. View photos from the event.
And come together we did! With more than 300 people in attendance, we celebrated the many achievements of our program, the resilience of our students and families, our incredible alumni and staff, and this year’s beloved Horizons Heroes, the Henning and Boland families! We got to hear from one of our inspirational Horizons alumni, Cristal Chacon. Cristal has been involved with Horizons since Kindergarten and attributes her career in education directly to what she learned during her time as a student in Horizons. She works with Horizons in the summer with our middle school students and has recently joined our high school mentor team during the school year. Everyone was inspired by Cristal’s story and how Horizons helped her to learn how to swim when she was little and gain so much self-confidence through the years.
Our 2021 Horizons Heroes, the Henning and Boland families, were honored with a touching video. Mary Henning was passionate about Horizons since our inception at Colorado Academy 23 years ago, and her sister, Elizabeth, has been our angel funder for our Henning Health and Wellness program for the past six years. Watch the video and learn more about these extraordinary families.
Our sponsors, donors, and attendees all play a pivotal role in our financial success, which is ultimately so critical to be able to run the program. Wine & Dine provides close to 40% of our operating budget. Without the funds raised at this event, we would not be able to run the program in the summer.
Having so much support from the CA community—faculty, staff, parents, and Horizons Club members—and knowing that everyone has a vested interest in the program’s success provides me with so much hope that it is hard to put it into words. This is a program that works, that makes an enormous difference in the lives of our students. The CA community’s unflagging support makes it all possible. For that, I am eternally grateful. Mil gracias y adelante!