Parker Chronicle

Page 1

Chronicle Parker

PARKER 1.10.13

January 11, 2013

A Colorado Community Media Publication

ourparkernews.com

Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 11

Mayor: Help improve Parker Facebook group seeks to support businesses, nonprofits By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com

Nathan Hiltman’s sister, Madison, spreads out some of the postcards that have been sent to the boy from all over the world. Photos by Courtney Kuhlen

Postcards show boy the world Parker mom’s idea goes viral By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com When 9-year-old Nathan Hiltman was diagnosed with optic atrophy in July, his mom decided to try her best to help him see the world before losing his vision. The mission doesn’t involve long flights to exotic and expensive locales on the other side of the world. Stacey Hiltman’s solution was simple, yet ingenious: postcards. The plan was to put the call out to friends and relatives on her blog, as well as through Facebook. But as with all good ideas, word spread like wildfire. It was helped along considerably when Nathan’s older sister, Madison, presented the strategy in November to her Pine Grove Elementary fifthgrade class during show-and-tell. The heartwarming story had some in tears, and Madison’s teacher informed colleagues and parents about the cause. A parent who works at a Denver television news station asked if she could pitch the story to producers, and the rest, as they say, is history. The piece went viral, and pretty soon the Hiltmans’ story was being picked up by new outlets as far away as Malaysia. “It’s really quite unreal because it went from honestly just my 200 friends and family on Facebook to us saying, `We don’t know what’s going on, could you send us some postcards?’” Stacey Hiltman said. The result has been astounding. As of Jan. 4, just two weeks after the story first aired, the family had received well over 1,000 postcards from all over the globe, including a stack from a Littleton woman who has been collecting postcards her entire life, but decided they could be put to better use. The vivid imagery of monuments and historic places brought the world to the Hiltman’s Parker living room. Other offers began flooding in, too. A Parker woman wants to take Nathan flying in her small plane, and a man from South Carolina offered to fund a trip overseas for the entire family. That man has an autistic son, and Nathan has a high-functioning form of the neurological disorder. Nathan’s dad, Jay, said the offers have been incredibly generous, but they cannot accept such extravagant gifts. However, he said the family will consider

Nathan Hiltman, 9, looks at postcards with his mother, Stacey Hiltman, and sister, Madison, on Jan. 4 in their Parker home. Since his story aired on television, the Hiltmans have been sent postcards from all over the world.

‘That was one of my proud moments of being a dad. Because you always want the best for your kids.’ Jay Hiltman a proposal from a Montrose woman who raises Labradoodle service dogs for the visually impaired and wants to give one to the third-grader. Another woman wants to donate a magnifying device that will help Nathan better see his homework. “There are certain things we can’t refuse,” Stacey Hiltman said. The last year has been filled with ups and downs for the family. Countless doctors were unable to pinpoint the reason for Nathan’s progressive loss of sight. After the optic atrophy diagnosis, Jay Hiltman had difficulty coming to grips with the fact that his son would never ride a bike or play sports again. But there is one shining moment, one that was caught on video, that Nathan’s dad eagerly shares with people. It shows Nathan’s youth basketball team graciously handing him the ball — at the

direction of his coaches who wanted every player to make a basket before the end of the season — and heaving it cleanly through the hoop. The entire gymnasium exploded. Parents were cheering and crying at the same time. The coaches and refs were high-fiving Nathan, whose friend told him what the excitement was all about. A time-out was called and Nathan can be seen running to hug his mom. “That was one of my proud moments of being a dad. Because you always want the best for your kids,” Jay Hiltman said. Now the family is humbled once again by support from the public. Postcards from strangers continue to flood in to help a young boy discover the wonders that life has to offer. Those who wish to donate postcards to Nathan can send them to 10544 Oakmoor Circle, Parker, CO 80134.

Parker’s new mayor has issued a twofold challenge to get residents more involved in helping the town thrive. Mike Waid, who took office Dec. 17, launched a loose-knit Facebook group on New Year’s Eve that ballooned to an active following of 503 members by Jan. 8. “The Mayor’s Challenge 2013” urges residents to “choose a local nonprofit or civic organization and donate at least one hour of your time per month” and “patronize a locally owned business at least once per week.” After seeing how rapidly the group expanded in the first days, Waid went furWaid ther and asked members to extend invitations to friends in a bid to double the number, with much success. Since then, dozens of Parkerites have posted about visiting shops like the Mainstreet Flower Market or eating at local restaurants like Las Delicias and Junz. Waid says it’s no longer about him asking residents to take action, but it’s “people talking to each other” and, for example, recommending restaurants that other group members might not know about. He hopes the challenge will eventually lead to a paradigm shift in which residents patronize locally owned shops and franchises. One woman touted her volunteerism at Pine Lane Elementary, and Parker resident Kelly Clark posted about attending a board meeting for the Parker Piece Keepers Quilt Guild, a nonprofit that educates beginner and skilled quilters and engages in charitable outreach programs. Waid said Douglas County has more registered 501(c)(3)s than anywhere else in the nation, which affords plenty of opportunities to get involved. “No matter what your passion is, there is a nonprofit in this area,” he said. Clark says “The Mayor’s Challenge 2013” creates an opportunity for locals to invest in small businesses and encourage others to do the same. “I’ve lived in Parker almost my whole life and one of the things I admire most is its authenticity and small-town feel even as it has grown substantially,” she said. “The Facebook page is a great medium to ask my friends to support Parker and to let people know which small businesses I support.” Waid’s platform as an elected official enables him to get the word out initially, then let the people take control of the effort. The idea also was to make the goals attainable for those with busy schedules. During his campaign for the mayor’s seat, Waid vowed to help Parker businesses through different means, and the Facebook movement is the first step. “What prompted me to issue it is the tenets of what I ran on: that we all leave Parker a better place than we found it,” he said.

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