04 Aug 1st Annual Rico Rendezvous, 8/7
With its good bones, the Mercantile Building stands proudly in the center of Rico’s historic Main Street, yet it has seen few-to-no occupants since the 1980s. Help breathe life back into this historic building with scores of Rico supporters this Sunday, August 7, 2016, when the Rico Center hosts its first annual fundraising party, “The Rico Rendezvous” in a Mercantile storefront.
Mercantile today, on the right side of the road, near red vehicle.
The event will launch a new community fund, the “Rico Legacy Endowment,” aimed at revitalizing and sustaining Rico for the long haul by building a “nest egg.” The mission of the Rico Legacy Endowment is to preserve the authentic nature of the old mining town, while supporting services, public amenities, and infrastructure for local businesses, residents, and visitors.
“Anyone with a place in their hearts for Rico is invited for dinner, drinks, and friendship this Sunday between 4-7 p.m.,” says Nicole Pieterse, President and a founding board member of The Rico Center. “With the Rendezvous, we are providing an opportunity for people to show their support for Rico by celebrating what makes Rico so special as a community.”
The effort to establish the Rico Legacy Endowment is being led by the Rico Center, a non-profit community foundation started in 2003, in collaboration with the Paradox Community Trust and the Telluride Foundation.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance here. They are also available at the door.
Ticket price includes dinner provided by Aemono Fine Food & Catering and one drink ticket (beer, wine, or soft drink). Additional drinks may be purchased at the cash bar. Thanks to generous donations from numerous supporters, one-hundred-percent of the ticket sales and donations will be deposited into the new Rico Legacy Endowment.
Rico artists Barbara Betts, Ann Jenemann (both Rico Center Board Members), Ruth Heffron, Klara Lapp, and others will transform the Mercantile store front, (donated by Dr. Scott Livesay), into an art-infused party lounge. Pieterse, who also serves on the Board of the Paradox Community Trust, is event chair. Organizers hope to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 during the event, though the ultimate goal is $1 million by 2020.
“Rico and everything we love about it – its alpine setting, its history, its small town charm, its authentic character – all of it needs financial resources,” says Pieterse, who when not volunteering for Rico is a local real-estate, business, and non-profit attorney. “Without resources, we are barely hanging on and just ‘hoping’ to preserve what we love about our town. Many of us love Rico just the way it is, but it’s not sustainable without funds. These beautiful old empty buildings, like the Mercantile, and our infrastructure could eventually fall into ruin.”
To learn more about the Rico Legacy Endowment, go to paradoxgives.org and select “Rico.”
For more information on the Rico Center, visit ricocenter.org or phone Pieterse at 970-708-0411.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.