Quarterly Update - September 2023

SAVE THE DATE

Come support the DDPAF on October 20 at 5:30pm & 8:30pm at St. Columba School for the most anticipated event of the year!

It is time to pick out your Durango finest dress threads, dust off the bling, and mark your calendar to attend the star-studded event of the summer, Dancing with the Durango Stars! On October 20th local Durango Celebrities will slip into their costumes and dance their hearts out, competing to raise funds for the Durango Derailers Patient Assistance Fund benefiting families in southwest Colorado who must travel for their children’s medical needs.

These generous celebrities are leaders in our community, and they will present a dazzling night of dancing and fun. You will be able to buy tickets to support your favorite dancers and vote as many times as you want with each vote costing $1! The couple raising the most money from ticket sales and voting will get bragging rights and take home the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy at the end of the night!

Ticket Information:

Online at tinyurl.com/bddfpp96 for $40
Available at the door if not sold out
Cash bar (beer, wine, cider, & non-alcoholic drinks) tickets available at the door
Limited-availability VIP tables (table for 4, sparkling wine, snacks, front two rows), contact Leslie Carlson at 970-799-8832 for info
$250 for Early Show
$350 for Late Trophy Show

DWTDS Poster

5:30 Show Tickets

8:30 Show Tickets

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR SHOW

More hands make light work and we need volunteers to help with the Dancing with the Durango Stars event. If you want a way to help us practically, check out our SignUpGenius page to see how and when we could use you!

A huge thank you to everyone who makes our mission possible. The Corporate Sponsors, The Donors, The Riders, and the Dancers. You ALL make this happen for our kids!

OUR MISSION IN ACTION

January to July 2023:

87 families served - that's more than last year already and that means we are currently helping over THREE families per WEEK!

Did you know...

In 2022, 85 families benefited from the Durango Derailers Patient Assistance Fund. That's over 3 families every two weeks!
This number is half of what it used to be due to newly implemented fund restrictions at Children's Hospital Colorado. By expanding our mission, fundraising locally, and building funds at the Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado we expect this number to multiply greatly and serve more families!

IN THE COMMUNITY

FAMILY SPOTLIGHT

Durango Derailers has been with us during our journey since our son Kendall was born in November 2021. Kendall was born at 29 weeks, weighing 2lbs 7oz. We had a rollercoaster NICU stay of 80 days at Grand Junction, Children's Hospital and Durango NICUs. Durango Derailers first helped us with hotel costs during our Denver NICU stay, and since then has supported us with multiple trips to Children's Hospital for specialist appointments, procedures and g-tube surgery. Durango Derailers is an INCREDIBLE resource for Durango families, and we are beyond grateful for their support. I had to quit my job to take care of Kendall's medical and feeding needs, so financial assistance to travel to medical appointments has been so so helpful. The 14+ hour roundtrip to Denver for medical care is stressful enough, and we can't thank Durango Derailers enough for alleviating the financial burden of the travel!! Thank you for everything you do for Durango's medical kiddos and families.

The Walker Olson Family

IN THE NEWS

Did you catch our Co-Directors on the Durango Local News? If you missed it, you can watch it here!

Link to YouTube

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Kyle Kunkel with eXp Realty partnered with Durango Derailers Patient Assistance Fund to raise money for our local families through his participation in the 2022 Dancing with the Durango Stars. Kyle & his wife Megan danced a cha cha that brought in nearly ten thousand dollars! Kyle, his wife and three daughters live in Durango. He values honesty, integrity, and building trust, which he demonstrates through his work in real estate as well as coaching baseball and football, and being an active leader in our local Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Because of partners like Kyle Kunkel with eXp Realty, we are able to provide children with hope and support to get them the pediatric specialty care they need.

REACHING MORE FAMILIES

We have revamped our intake process in order to make it easier and less time-consuming for families to access our funds. It is all electronic now there is and no need to print and email or fax. We are excited for this update and hope we can reach more families through it.

If you know of families that are traveling out of our area for pediatric specialty care, please have them fill out an intake form at https://forms.gle/1eJh8P3DyZmX4BQ66

Electronic Intake Form

Summer in Review

Graze & Fundraise - while Grassburger donated 10% of their sales for the day to DDPAF, we also got to bring the cycling team together for dinner to kick off the Iron Horse ride as well as showcase and distribute our custom team jersey!

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic - 51 riders donning the Durango Derailers team jersey rode in the 51st Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. These athletes pedaled to bring HOPE and COURAGE to our local kids, collecting over $30,000 in donations! We are so thankful for each and every one of them!!

Courage Classic - Nicole Manfredonia joined 57 other riders on the Psyched to Climb team at the Courage Classic in Summit County. Psyched to Climb is an organization we have recently partnered with to focus on the mental health needs of our local kids. This is the 17th year the Durango Derailers Team has ridden in the Courage Classic!

SPOTLIGHTS

Have you seen our recent Spotlights on our social media? Click the pictures below to learn more about who they are & why they are on our team!

LEGACY DONORS

We appreciate our sponsors who continue to donate year after year. No matter the amount, it sure adds up! The following sponsors have hit some big milestones. Thank you for showing up for us year after year!!

15+ Years:

-Pediatric Partners of Southwest Colorado

10+ Years:

-Alpine Bank

-Four Corners OBGYN

-Joe Clair / Keller Williams

-Mountain Bike Specialists

5+ Years:

-Baird Wealth (Helms/Shadid)

-Custom Touch Builders

-GAIA Creative

-Grenadier Financial

-Groove U

-Hood Mortuary

-Mercy Regional Medical Center

-Spine Colorado

HELP US ROCK THE CAUSE

Looking for a new t-shirt or sweatshirt? Want to represent The Durango Derailers Patient Assistance Fund? Check out our online Bonfire store to order gear for your whole family. Orders will be delivered directly to you, and a portion of the proceeds comes back to our mission of serving kids in need.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD

Share our facebook & instagram pages with your friends and family.
Know someone traveling outside of our area for pediatric medical care? Share our website and cause with them - we’d love to reach more families!
Know someone that wants to join our cause by participating in our events or giving a monthly donati on? We would love to have them join our team!
Can we add someone you know to our newsletter?

Thank you for your continued support, we couldn't do it without you!

Join our Monthly Donor Club!

We now have a recurring donation option!

Whether it’s a dollar a month or twenty dollars a month,

your support helps to sustain our mission and giving kids hope!

Diamond Club Sponsors:

Platinum Club Sponsors:

PO Box 1673

Durango, CO 81302