‘We haven’t forgotten them’

30th annual Courage Walk source of healing, resilience for participants

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Every April, hundreds of people gather at the Je erson County Government Center and walk to the little garden on the south side of the complex. Along the walkway, among the owers and trees, are the names of those the community has lost to crime.

Many of their family members and friends make the Courage Walk annually as a reminder that they are not alone and that their loved ones are not forgotten.

On April 29, hundreds of those impacted by crime — survivors, victims’ family members and friends, and their communities — gathered for the 30th annual Courage Walk.

Local victim advocacy organizations host Je erson County’s event, which always coincides with National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Vista Exline, the retired executive director of Victim Outreach Incorporated, helped start the event, recalling how it was initially at Crown e Courage Walk itself has taken on similar signi cance, Exline described, saying that it helps remind participants of “the resilience of the human spirit,” and that there are other people who share their experiences.

Hill Park. But, there was no way to acknowledge that the event had happened — no sign or marker to signify who’d been there or why.

Exline hoped to start a garden to honor those impacted by crime, and she soon found out that the county had similar plans. So, in time, the Courage Garden became the epicenter for the annual Courage Walk, she said, emphasizing how it’s grown into an important memorial.

After 30 years, Exline said she’s learned many of the names in the garden and their stories and wanted to ensure their loved ones, “We haven’t forgotten them.”

At least 200 participants walked this year, which organizers said was the biggest crowd in several years. Some walked to honor speci c people, like Arvada Police O cer Dillon Vako ’s family, who wore shirts in his honor. Many others, though, were local volunteers and government employees who were there for general support.