HARVEST

for the farming community of the Front Range, something that farmers can connect to and share resources. While I know that those things exist, I think something needs to be re ned.”

Sword met Young to get an idea of her experience with the Brighton community.

“I wanted to get the boots on the ground on what she saw in the community and why she started the program what led up to her wanting to dissolve the Harvest,” Sword said. “We spoke through email for a while.”

Young said that she had yet to make the closure o cial or made an o cial ling, so she o ered Sword a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as Executive Director. Sword said he thought it over and said yes to taking the job.

“From my point of view, this is something with the community behind it, with so much love and support, and someone who was willing to ght for these values of food equity, and not to give up,” Sword said.

Future for Brighton Shares

Swords said he plans to expand the program. In the past, Harvest coordinated places where local gardeners could donate and o ered classes and giveaways. e group also worked to organize distributions and donations from around the area.

“We are still willing to distribute produce to the community and seeds as well. Also having classes is some- thing that will be evolving, hopefully, we can partner with a few from the CSU Extension master gardeners in Adams County,” Sword said.

He hopes to expand its work in other ways, too.

“I plan on using my resources, my connections from Veterans to Farmers, and be able to bring people to farms or bring to farmers to Brighton,” he said. “It would be fun for both parties to see what happens on a working farm and the challenges it takes to make a resilient local food community.

Brighton Shares the Harvest will continue its education program, will continue donating seedlings to teach people how to grow their vegetable gardens and will teach them about Brighton’s soil, weed identi cation, proper watering, and pests.

“We are pushing this idea of biodiversity and the importance of giving back as a person who is growing things,” Sword said.

With Sword taking the new role and transitioning with the Harvest within the next few weeks, he is meeting with his Board of Directors to discuss his plans for the future and have a vote on the direction they are going.

“I couldn’t be more pleased about the future of Brighton Shares the Harvest, and I know Andrew will fully support our mission of putting more fresh produce on more tables in Brighton,” Young said.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions on the Brighton Shares transition updates, email Andrew Sword at andsword42@gmail.com, call 623806-6727 or visit the website https:// www.brightonsharestheharvest.org.

Make-A-Wish Colorado alumni, volunteers celebrate its 40th anniversary

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

2023 has already been a big year for Make-A-Wish.

Wish Week fundraisers have been in full swing at local schools this winter, and basketball legend Michael Jordan donated $10 million — the largest individual donation ever — to the national organization last month. And spring 2023 could be even bigger.

Make-A-Wish Colorado celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and is hosting an anniversary celebration and fundraiser in April in Denver. Since it started, Make-A-Wish Colorado has granted more than 6,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses as a way of giving them hope and something to look forward to during their treatment.

Golden’s Ben Bontrager, 10, went to Hawaii for his wish last spring. He was diagnosed in early 2020 with Burkitt’s lymphoma and was sick for almost a year, with his mom Sarah saying, “We almost lost him a couple times.”

Ben, who’s now in remission, said going to Hawaii was “the rst thing idea that popped in my head,” because he wanted to get out and do something fun.

“I was sick of being home,” he continued.

Now, Ben and his family are becoming Make-A-Wish ambassadors so that they can help other families through the same process.

Dad Je Bontrager said Ben’s wish was a “bright spot” to think about during those long days at the hospital, adding, “ e thought that (MakeA-Wish) has done it over and over for people, it’s really pretty amazing.”

For Jennifer

Joan Mazak has been the proverbial fairy godmother for thousands of Colorado children after she founded the organization in 1983. She started it in honor of her daughter, Jennifer, who died at 7 years old of a liver disease.

Mazak recalled how, about a week before Jennifer’s death, she was granted an uno cial wish to meet local radio mascot KIMN Chicken. He stopped by the family’s house, walking around the entire property hand-in-hand with Jennifer. Many of the neighborhood children stopped by to see KIMN Chicken, but he was focused on making Jennifer feel special.

“It was great for her to be able to have that,” Mazak said.

After Jennifer’s death, Mazak used funds that people had raised for a liver donation to start Make-A-Wish

Colorado. ere were only three other chapters in the country and no national organization yet, she said. e local chapter was all volunteers working out of their homes, helping to create memories for children who needed them. Mazak said the very rst wish was to catch a sh, so they set up a shing trip at Dillon Reservoir.

Longtime volunteer Gary Aboussie recalled wishes to meet the pope and the Broncos. One of his favorite stories was sending a guitar to Bruce Springsteen to sign, him keeping that one, and sending back his own guitar instead with a special message. Mazak said of wishes: “ ey come in all shapes and sizes. ere are so many logistics to putting together a single wish. It’s di erent for every single family.”