The Friends of Twin Lakes, Inc. (FoTL), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, expresses deep gratitude for the grants and donations received for Fire Station Two.

Fire Station Two is a multi-purpose safety building that will house a second fire station for our county and provide space for the Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue, Colorado State Patrol, Office of Emergency Management, Public Work’s grader/plow and an ambulance from St. Vincent Hospital. This facility will help provide greater safety services throughout Lake County with less reliance on, and delay waiting for, mutual aid from surrounding counties.

There is no price that can be placed on saving a life or property. This station will assist our county in achieving protection and safety goals throughout its 377 square miles, with about 8,000 residents and tens of thousands of visitors each year. The price for the new station could not be paid without the support of local government, numerous organizations and individuals who realize how critical it is to have another station to back up the existing facility.

The first grant for this project was received by FoTL in 2018 from the Climax Community Fund through the Freeport McMoran Foundation. The $50,000 grant was important in building matching funds for Lake County’s $655,866 grant from the Department of Local Affairs’ Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Program. Lake County will provide most of the matching funds along with in-kind work from Public Works. Other construction-fund contributions were provided by the City of Leadville ($70,000), Leadville/Lake County Fire and Rescue ($80,000) and FoTL ($52,000).

In addition to these construction grants, FoTL wants to acknowledge the following contributions toward furnishing and finishing the building:

• Leadville Trail 100 Legacy Foundation took the lead with a generous award of $3,500 for a large stove and heavy-duty washer and dryer. These will be placed in the living quarters which will house up to eight firefighters and one paramedic/EMT.

• Lake County Community Fund granted $719 for a heavy-duty dishwasher.

• To date, FoTL has raised an additional $13,005 for furnishing and finishing work. These funds came from individual donations, money raised at a wine-tasting event sponsored by the Wagner’s and Twin Lakes Inn, and the presentation by former NASA astronaut Jeff Ashby. (More events will be coming.)

The furnishing and finishing work is important as most of the firefighters will be “residents in training” living in the new station.

We genuinely appreciate all who have given so much to make our county more resilient and better situated to preserve lives and property. FoTL fundraising continues. If you would like to make a donation please send it to Friends of Twin Lakes, 231 Lang St., Twin Lakes, CO 81251 (note “fire station” in the memo line).

Friends of Twin Lakes Board of Directors

Kelly Sweeney, Kurt Schweigert, Judy Leaming, Larry Marcum and Susie Ramsdell

This letter was originally published in the Leadville Herald Democrat on August 14, 2019.