COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — In the past two decades, the Pikes Peak or Bust Foundation has raised about $2 million for military members in the Colorado Springs area.
Click here to donate. You can also support the foundation by attending the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, click here for tickets.
The mission of the foundation is to provide support to our local active-duty military members and their families through quality-of-life initiatives while promoting and preserving Western heritage. Proceeds from events such as the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, Pikes Peak or Bust Golf Tournament and the Blue Jeans and Brass Gala have benefited non-profit organizations directly tied to local military installations including Fort Carson, Peterson, Schriever and the Air Force Academy.
"We work with them directly in their Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Education offices to help distribute these funds," the Executive Director for the Pikes Peak or Bust Foundation, Kyle Park, explained. "We also work with some nonprofits that work on the bases, specifically to get the money distributed into some of the enlisted personnel's hands so that they can have a higher quality of life."
Park isn't able to share specifics on how much each branch or non-profit has received, but he added that their foundation has a partnership with the PRCA to include a guaranteed minimum donation; however, they don't know what the maximum donation is until they get to the end of the operating budget. In 2024, they donated $160,000.
"This is kind of my way to give back," Park stated. "I'm very appreciative to the sacrifices that the military community puts in and the work that they put into serving our country... So, thank you to all of our military members... We would love to see you out here at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo so we can give you a warrior's welcome and hero sendoff."
The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo wouldn't be possible without the large number of volunteers who offer up their time, meaning more money is going back to our military community. Park explained that the idea to start supporting the military came about in 1946 when the board saw our military members coming back from World War II. While funds have been donated since that time period, Park said they only feel confident in reporting general numbers of donations from the past two decades.
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Housing market snapshot for Colorado Springs in June
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