Hundreds turnout for a night of inspiration and celebration.

The Summit County community gathered Thursday night, November 17, at Beaver Run for The Summit Foundation Philanthropy Awards, which this year marks their 30th anniversary. The ceremony honored businesses, nonprofits, and people in eight categories for their extraordinary commitment to our community. The goal of the award is to inspire and celebrate the Summit County culture of giving back by recognizing those who give of their time, talent, and treasure to make Summit County truly a special place to live.

The Summit Foundation would like to thank our 30th Annual Philanthropy Awardees for inspiring the community.


Krystal Media

OUTSTANDING BUSINESS: Krystal Media

Nominated by: Lindsey Cotton

Giving back to Summit County is what Krystal Media has been about for nearly 35 years. This deep connection comes from being a locally owned company and having a dedicated team who lives in the community and cares about our mountain towns. The Krystal suite of radio stations consistently offers information and encouragement for people to roll up their sleeves and get involved, as well as supporting over 50 nonprofits with promotional opportunities and remote broadcasts. When the pandemic hit, Krystal proactively stepped up to promote local nonprofits, musicians, businesses, and other local heroes, who in turn used that recognition to help others. That’s the Summit County way, and Krystal Media is proudly leading the charge.

Larry Crispell

OUTSTANDING CITIZEN: Larry Crispell

Nominated by: Larissa O’Neil, Breckenridge History (formerly Breckenridge Heritage Alliance)

Often flying under the radar, Larry Crispell offers his expertise, support, and hands-on assistance in a quiet and meaningful manner. For over 50 years, he has made a lasting and noticeable impact in historic preservation, philanthropic support, and civic endeavors. Larry spearheaded the preservation and stabilization of several historical projects for the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance (now Breckenridge History), including the Sallie Barber Mine and Wellington Ore Bin, among others. He is known for looking for ways to engineer projects differently, offering construction advice, hands-on assistance, and recruiting others to help with on-site work. His philanthropic spirit extends to the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, Building Hope, Summit in Honduras, Summit Huts, and others. Larry previously served several terms on the Breckenridge Town Council and is a quiet, strong advocate for the many causes he believes in.

Jim Smith

OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR: Jim Smith

Nominated by: Paul Finkel and Karen-Jo Dolamore

Jim Smith changes lives. As the Principal of Snowy Peaks Junior and Senior High School, he puts his experience, hard work, depth of knowledge, and compassion for his students into everything he does. Formerly the Assistant Principal of Summit High School, Mr. Smith is a pioneer in blended learning and has transformed Snowy Peaks into a successful magnet school that serves a diverse population of students. This student-focused environment creates a highly personalized educational experience.

A former student said, “Mr. Smith accepted me for who I am. He believes in his students, and more importantly, he teaches them to believe in themselves.”

Mr. Smith is a role model for students and other educators, creating camaraderie and pride in line with Snowy Peak’s motto - Be a Yeti, Be Legendary.

Mike and Anna Dudick

DR. OLIVER STONINGTON OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPISTS: Anna and Mike Dudick

Nominated by: Building Hope, BreckCreate, and FIRC

Anna and Mike Dudick shape the fabric of our community in a humble and meaningful way. The Dudicks give selflessly and often encourage others to get involved at any level of giving. Their recent million-dollar personal donation to the new Sol Center in Breckenridge launched the capital campaign to create a future one-stop shop for resources through collaboration with FIRC, Building Hope, and others. The Dudicks also recognize the importance of the arts to our quality of life and have provided meaningful support to BreckCreate’s mobile stage and other arts organizations. Anna and Mike give personally of their time and assist with fundraising, including serving on the Board of Directors of Building Hope and The Summit Foundation, among others. This commitment extends to Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV), and Mike was instrumental in creating BGV Gives, the BGV employee giving program, and BGV owner support of the community.

Karen Meza

OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL IN A NONPROFIT: Karen Meza

Nominated by: Helen Royal, Summit Community Care Clinic

Summit Care Clinic employees say the word that best describes Karen Meza is “genuine.” During her 15-year career at the Care Clinic, Karen has worked her way from a Front Desk Clerk to Administrative Assistant, then Office Manager, Clinic Manager, and now is the Director of Clinical Operations. Karen is a good listener and tireless patient advocate, often getting personally involved on behalf of patients. She has an ability to see services through the patients’ eyes, likely coming from years of interpreting for her mother after coming to the United States at age 8. Karen brings a sense of humor to the Care Clinic, is adept at building consensus and motivating her team, and she never wavers in her ongoing commitment to the Care Clinic patients.

Sue & Bob Peterson

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS: Sue and Bob Peterson

Nominated by: Deborah Hage

The Rotary Community Dinner happens without fail every Tuesday in collaboration with the Elks Lodge in Silverthorne and kitchen manager/cook Bob Knorr. The event serves almost 9,500 people annually in a warm atmosphere of community and caring. The backbone of the community dinner is volunteers, managed each week seamlessly by Sue and Bob Peterson. They have been faithful volunteers for over 10 years and took over the operations from Deb Hage in 2017. Every week Sue and Bob plan meals, arrange food orders and delivery, manage food rescue operations, organize different groups of volunteer cooks and servers, and oversee operations at every dinner. Never known to miss a Tuesday, they even schedule their vacations around this critical community service. Their dedication and organizational skills are motivational to all who serve with them.

Nataly Alderete Avila

OUTSTANDING YOUTH: Nataly Alderete Avila

Nominated by: Danelle Hicks, Pre-Collegiate

As a dedicated first-generation student, Nataly Alderete Avila is a high-level scholar, bilingual individual, an athlete, and a strong leader. But among all of that, the thing that she cares most about is her community service and giving back. This year alone Nataly has volunteered over 120 hours to the community, including making sandwiches for Smart Bellies, translating for families at school events, fundraising for club activities, mentoring younger students through the High Trails Outdoor Education Center, and serving as a leader in the pre-Collegiate program. Through her volunteer work, Nataly has learned the importance of giving back to her community and helping others. She hopes to continue this passion through college and in future career of helping others.

Geoff Palmer

DAVID OLBRIGHT OUTSTANDING YOUTH MENTOR: Geoff Palmer

Nominated by: Margaret Carlson

Geoff Palmer, fondly known as “Coach” in local circles, has trained all ages and abilities for Summit Youth Hockey for over 20 years. As is the case with all great youth coaches, his life lessons transcend the sport. Called “Geoff-isms,” there are many lessons that the players take with them long after they’ve left the team, such as “skate all the way through the lines” (don’t cut corners), “pack your bag, unpack your bag, repack your bag” (be sure you are prepared), and so on. Geoff is a mentor to youth on and off the ice, and his impact is felt by all ages. Many of his former players are now his fellow coaches, and they learn from watching his steady demeanor with young players and parents. Geoff is a fixture in local hockey circles, but he is also engaged in the broader community, often buying a table at fundraising events or donating items for auctions. Geoff has deeply impacted those who have been fortunate to call him “Coach.”

In addition, we would like to thank Brad Williamson and SCTV for their support in developing the nomination videos that eloquently told the story of our winners' impact on the community. Our sponsors, FirstBank, Climax Molybdenum Mine, and Vail Health helped make the evening a huge success.

Previous Philanthropy Awardees

Thank you for your commitment to our community!

1st Bank of Summit County Drew Adkins Advocates for Victims of Assault
Sharon Aguiar Allison Aichinger Christopher Alleman
Alpine Banks of Summit County Arapahoe Basin Avalanche Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation
Backstage at the Riverwalk Brownell Bailey Bill Baker
Karl Barth Richard & Linda Bateman Carl & Alicia Bauer
Jay Bauer Beaver Run Resort Tom Begley
Seth Blackmer Joshua Blanchard Blue River Sports & Mountain Wave Snowboards
Bill Bolthouse Bob Bond Gini Bradley
Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center Breckenridge Ski Resort Resort Walter G. Briney, MD
Bristlecone Health Services Alyson Brozovich Kerry Buhler
Marilyn Burger Burke & Riley's Irish Pub Lucinda Burns
Ryan Burr Barbara Calvin Mike & Theresa Campbell
Dick Carleton Margaret Carlson Christina Carlson
Howard & Sue Carver Tim Casey Ed Casias
Sean Cavins Jennifer Cawley Centura Health, Summit County Government, Summit Healthcare Providers
Clean Energy Collective, Summit County Mike & Linda Clem Colorado Mountain Express
Community First National Bank Conexiones Marsha & Cary Cooper
Copper Mountain Resort Jim & Maggie Cox Bob Craig
Ed Crane Currie Craven Creative Cabinetry
Deb Crook Pati Cruz John Daisy
Jay DeBaggis John & Jeanne Del Mar Max & Edna Dercum
Brad Dickerson Susan Donaldson Downstairs at Eric's
Wally & Maggie Ducayet Kim Dufty Pat Duletsky MD
Alicia Dunn Jerry & Laura Dziedzic Eagle-Summit Publishing Co
Early Childhood Connections East West Partners Ebert-Santos Family Family
Linda & John Ebright Brian Edney Education Foundation of the Summit
Storm Enterprises Family and Intercultural Resource Center Larry Farnum
John Farr Fatty's Pizzeria Lisa Ferguson
Mark & Roberta Fiester Paul & Eileen Finkel FIRC Bag Ladies
Bruce Fitch John Fitzgerald Bob & Nancy Follett
Free Surgery Day Robert H.S. French Friends of the Dillon Ranger District
Sue Furia Noreen Galaba Phil Gallagher
Marge Gavenda Kasey Geoghegan - Provorse Kerry Gibson
Davis Gidney Jasmine Godzak Janet Good
Cynthia Gordon Grand Timber Lodge Nicole Green
Sandy Greenhut Kathy Grotemeyer Robin Hadley
Deborah Hage Chris Hall Millie Hamner
Rachel Anne Hanson Tony Harris Tom Hart
Dave Hartman Mitzie Hawkins Jamilee Headley
Garrett Hedman Lee & Peg Henry High Country Conservation Center High Country Fire Training Center
Highlands at Breckenridge Peggy Hiller Madisyn Hirsh
Holiday Inn, Summit County Joan Houlton House with the Red Door
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day Ben Hull Rick Hum
Pat Hutson & Peg iFurnish Jessica Johns
Joe Johnson Mary Anne Johnston Gayle Jones-Westerberg
Greg Jungman Julie Kelble Cleve Keller
Tom & Nancy Keltner Keystone Science School Keystone Resort
Kimberly Kissmann Betty jo Knapp Jennifer Koch
Pat Kopystianskyj Beth Koran Margaret Kral
Krystal 93 Cameron & Doug Laidlaw Lake Dillon Theater Company
Chris Lambrecht Aaron Landau Molly Lee
Barbara Leffler, MD Chuck Lenzmeier & Valerie Andy Lewis
Life Guard 2 Crew Gary Lindstrom Brian Lorch
Lord of the Mountain Lutheran Church Amy Machin-Ward Make A Difference Day
Phyllis Martinez Cait McCluskie Therese McGraw
Marshall McKinney Amy McMullen Mountain Mentors
Sara Metzger Sha Miklas Dave Miller
Rob & Mike Millisor Debra Mitchell Turk Montepare
Bob & Wendy Moore Bill Musolf Neils Lunceford Landscaping
Jay Nelson Dave Newkirk Oumar Niang
John Novotny Denise Oaks-Moffett Jim Oberheide MD
Brad Odekirk Anne Marie Ohly Omni Real Estate
Janet Ortega Bonnie Osborn Domus Pacis
Don Parsons, MD Peak Performance Copier & Supply Craig "P.J." Perrinjaquet, MD
Peter Janes Family Jerry Peterson Javier Pineda
Shawn Pittman Laura Pless Tamara Pogue
Chamonix Adams Porter Jennifer Pratt-Miles Pre-Collegiate Program
Susan Propper & Don Prudential O’Brien & Associates Real Estate Public Service Company
Pumpkin Bowl Association Jake Quigley Jahan Rafie
Tom Randolph Ellen Reid Marilyn Repsher Raymond
Resort Express Richard Griffith Family Jeanie Ringelberg
Susan Robertson Sue Rodgers Isabel Rodriguez
Nubia Sanchez In Memoriam of Betty Sarber Christine Scanlan
Daphne Schroth Doug Schwartz SHS Mountain Dreamers
Silvana's Community Garden Silverthorne Skateboard Park Doug Sims
Noelle Sivon Ski The Summit Ann Small
Ashley Smith Mike & Margaret Smith Lee & Cherry Solomon
Aris Sophocles, MD John Spierling Mark & Deb Spiers
Judy Stattine Stinky & Karen Steinbrink Kurt Steuer
Anne Stonington Jane Alexandra Storm Wilson Strong
Doug Sullivan Summit Community Care Clinic Summit County Cares
Summit County Child Find Summit County Head Start Summit County Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Summit County Rescue Group Summit County Rotary Summit County Seniors
Summit Day Camps Summit Youth Centers Summit Youth Recycling Project
Summit-Lake Dillon Optimist Club Super Grad Program & Family Literacy Skill Development John Taylor
Everett Thomas Jack & Pat Thomas Tipsy Taxi
Lilian Tobias Town of Breckenridge Erika Turner
Vail- Summit Orthopaedics Sarah Vaine Orion Van Oss
Terri Vantiger Angie Carlevato Vossler Bonnie Ward
John Warner Karen West Steve West
Jeff Westcott Maureen Westerland Carly Wier
Christopher Willard Wilson Lass Creative Communication Samantha Wofford
Wendy Wolfe Dan Woodrow Hans & Mary Jane Wurster
Karen Wyatt In Memoriam, Dale Yanari Paul & Audrey Youngren
Youth Empowerment Society of Summit Lee Zimmerman