National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Rocky Mountain high
Rocky Mountain high
Rocky Mountain high
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By David Pickle
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
GOLDEN, Colorado — They built it, and they came.
On a sun-splashed Thursday evening, as many as 2,000 citizens of Golden, Colorado, took part in “An Evening in the Park,” a collaboration among the Colorado School of Mines athletics department, the city of Golden and the Golden Chamber of Commerce. The event was designed as part of the April 18-20 Division II Community-Engagement Workshop to illustrate how an athletics program can bring a campus and a community together to benefit both groups.
The Colorado School of Mines activity was conducted on the mall in the middle of the campus. Almost nothing was asked of those who attended, except to have a good time. Local businesses provided food, soft drinks and entertainment. The only request was an understated solicitation for Division II’s Make-A-Wish initiative. That effort netted about $1,600.
Otherwise, the event was about nothing but families, faculty and students hanging out with one another. From the start time of 3 p.m. until the 7:30 p.m. close, there was live music, crafts, a mini-train ride for kids, inflatable slides and games. Local businesses set up exhibits, some of which featured drawings for prizes. One even offered attendees a chance to buy massage therapy at the rate of $1 per minute.
Throughout the park, people sat on the grass, taking the opportunity to sit in the sunshine and talk to one another.
“This is great because you can’t tell where the campus starts and the community ends, and that’s what it’s all about,” said J.R. Smith, commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Colorado School of Mines Athletics Director Tom Spicer said he and his staff contributed about 120 hours of work, but only $1,000 of financial support. The Chamber of Commerce provided most of the volunteers to stage the event, with 69 local businesses bearing most of the financial load. Promotion was accomplished mostly through electronic media, with help from print, flyers and word of mouth.
“This was an opportunity to show Division II how the university and the city can work for the common good,” Spicer said. “This was a concept that would get the community together and not be athletic in nature. We wanted to energize toddlers and senior citizens alike.”
Mayor Chuck Baroch, who applauded in the institution’s recent efforts to become more involved in overall community planning, said the “Evening in the Park” was a winner. “We are proud of our community, and anything we can do to tell the world what a great place Golden is is great.”
Trip Durham, president of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, was equally impressed. Durham announced that NACMA will create a Division II Community Engagement Award of Excellence, and that Colorado School of Mines will be the first recipient when NACMA meets in June in Orlando.
On a sun-splashed Thursday evening, as many as 2,000 citizens of Golden, Colorado, took part in “An Evening in the Park,” a collaboration among the Colorado School of Mines athletics department, the city of Golden and the Golden Chamber of Commerce. The event was designed as part of the April 18-20 Division II Community-Engagement Workshop to illustrate how an athletics program can bring a campus and a community together to benefit both groups.
The Colorado School of Mines activity was conducted on the mall in the middle of the campus. Almost nothing was asked of those who attended, except to have a good time. Local businesses provided food, soft drinks and entertainment. The only request was an understated solicitation for Division II’s Make-A-Wish initiative. That effort netted about $1,600.
Otherwise, the event was about nothing but families, faculty and students hanging out with one another. From the start time of 3 p.m. until the 7:30 p.m. close, there was live music, crafts, a mini-train ride for kids, inflatable slides and games. Local businesses set up exhibits, some of which featured drawings for prizes. One even offered attendees a chance to buy massage therapy at the rate of $1 per minute.
Throughout the park, people sat on the grass, taking the opportunity to sit in the sunshine and talk to one another.
“This is great because you can’t tell where the campus starts and the community ends, and that’s what it’s all about,” said J.R. Smith, commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Colorado School of Mines Athletics Director Tom Spicer said he and his staff contributed about 120 hours of work, but only $1,000 of financial support. The Chamber of Commerce provided most of the volunteers to stage the event, with 69 local businesses bearing most of the financial load. Promotion was accomplished mostly through electronic media, with help from print, flyers and word of mouth.
“This was an opportunity to show Division II how the university and the city can work for the common good,” Spicer said. “This was a concept that would get the community together and not be athletic in nature. We wanted to energize toddlers and senior citizens alike.”
Mayor Chuck Baroch, who applauded in the institution’s recent efforts to become more involved in overall community planning, said the “Evening in the Park” was a winner. “We are proud of our community, and anything we can do to tell the world what a great place Golden is is great.”
Trip Durham, president of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, was equally impressed. Durham announced that NACMA will create a Division II Community Engagement Award of Excellence, and that Colorado School of Mines will be the first recipient when NACMA meets in June in Orlando.
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