Broomfield’s Builders – Paul Derda: The Heart, Soul, and Voice of Broomfield Recreation and Events

Broomfield’s Builders

Paul Derda: The Heart, Soul, and Voice of Broomfield Recreation and Events By Tina Eichner

The year was 1978 and the community of Broomfield was booming. City programs were growing and expanding and an opportunity in recreation brought a newcomer to town. Then City Manager George DiCiero hired a new Director of Parks and Recreation. His name was Paul Derda.

He would not be a newcomer for long. Through the years, his name would become a local household name and later the moniker for a beloved Broomfield gathering place. But Paul Derda is an extremely unique person. I dare say for as many people who know his name, he knows just as many names of local residents. No one is a stranger in Paul’s world.

I have known Paul since I was a child. He is an usher at my church and as an active teen, I frequently encountered him in sports and recreation programs as have thousands upon thousands of other Broomfield young people and families. He was one of my first “professional” journalism interviews in 1988 when I profiled him for a feature article in the Broomfield High School newspaper. A few weeks ago I had the chance to interview Paul again, over breakfast at Le Peep. The topic was the cancellation of the 2020 Broomfield Days due to COVID.

Paul began by talking fondly about his decades as Director of Parks and Recreation, working with George DiCiero and helping other Broomfield leaders implement a Master Plan for Broomfield, “We wanted a park within walking distance of every young person, without needing to cross a major artery. We met that goal. That is true in Broomfield today.”

Broomfield Days was started in 1957 by the Jaycees. Back then it was called the Broomfield Boom. There was a pancake breakfast, a parade, family games, and bingo – traditions that still hold today. In those first years, Broomfield Days was held over the 4 th of July. The Jaycees, the Optimists, the Lions, and the Rotary all came together to support the event.

In 1981, management of the event was moved to the City, with continuing support from many individuals and organizations. “We also moved the date,” he recalled. Paul noted that the third weekend in September was chosen due to more desirable weather and the fact that schools would be back in session

and there would be greater participation from bands and school groups.

“Since moving to the fall format, we’ve been blessed with good weather, sometimes windy, sometimes cloudy, sometimes cold, and sometimes hot. Only once in the early 90s, at about 2:30 p.m., well after the parade was over, we got hammered with a hail storm. The creek was rising, and all the tents were packed. When it was all over, people just went back to having a good time.”

Through the years the parade and the weekend of events ballooned. “Broomfield Days expanded with the community and the growth of organizations and their greater involvement.” As Paul remembered his early days helping with the event, he noted, “This would have been my 40 th year announcing.”

Paul has been involved in countless events and activities through the years, but annually it is the Great American Picnic for the 4 th of July, Broomfield Days, and the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting – three events that Paul emcees each year. This year both the Picnic and Broomfield Days were cancelled due to COVID, but Paul is hopeful for the Christmas Tree Lighting.

If you have ever attended any of these events, or gone to Paul Derda Recreation Center, or have kids in sports, or support any of Broomfield’s non-profit activities, you have probably come across Paul. And if you have met him, he will remember you by name. If you have not met him, he will still greet you in a way that makes you feel like you have just had an exchange with an old, dear friend. It is his gift. As is his love for all things Broomfield.

In our 90-minute breakfast, we reminisced and shared stories and talked about the dozens upon dozens of people each of us know who

Paul with his wife Martha and great grand daughter Madeline Mackenzie

shaped this community. And Paul said he did not want to leave anyone out and he did not want this to be an article about him, but an article about Broomfield Days. But in many ways, Paul is Broomfield Days. I am trusting he will forgive me for highlighting his role. He stressed that the cancellation this year is the right thing to do and that nothing is more important than keeping our community safe.

“Being the emcee for Broomfield Days, the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Fourth of July in Broomfield has been the single greatest honor of my life. Working alongside our Police and Fire Department, all of the City Departments, and the dozens of other Broomfield organizations that make these events happen is a privilege. They are the best and the brightest.”

“And next year, Broomfield Days will be back, bigger and better than ever,” he concluded. Yes. Yes, it will, Paul.