Friends of Gilpin County Community Center

06/04/2026

Friends of Gilpin County Community Center Announces “2026 Heart of the Community” Volunteer Awards

Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center will present its annual “Heart of the Community” Volunteer Awards at the Gilpin County Community Center on June 11, 2026, during the FGCCC annual meeting.

The event will start at 6 p.m. with a charcuterie board and dessert bar, along with other refreshments.

This free and open to the public, so come mingle with the awardees, friends, and family!

This year's awardees are:

Megan Goldkamp for her work on the new swim team program at the Center;

Tony Thorpe, for his work as volunteer soccer coach;

Derek Blake for his work setting up and running the mining competition at the Gilpin County Fair.

Each of these people will receive the "Heart of the Community Award" in the form of a custom wooden plaque, made and donated by FGCCC board member and secretary, Jess Tuton.

Certifying our Appreciation

Harry Ni**od is recognized for his hours of dedication to the flyrod building class and work on parking organization for the Fair each year;

Eric Douglas, for his contributions as a FGCCC board member this past two years.

These two gentlemen will receive Certificates of Appreciation for their work to support Friends and the Center's activities.

FGCCC will also recognize the following individuals who are not volunteers but have made important contributions to the community center programs:

Steve Briggs has been instructor, manager and developer of the Gilpin Clay Studio since it opened in 2003.

Linza Douglas has led the Senior Fit exercise program three days a week at the community center for several years.

Shaun Wicen, Recreation Coordinator at the community center, will be recognized for his exemplary work on the FGCCC Broncos-funded flag football program.

We will also give special thanks to four individuals who have teamed up to put up posters for us around the county, and to one new volunteer who went above expectations to keep her commitment.

Along with the awards, we will present highlights of our work of FGCCC as we celebrate the many people who give time to FGCCC and the community center.

Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting the Community Center and its activities. It regularly sponsors activities at the Center, using donations from local organizations and individuals. The group operates the Heart of the Community Fund, which helps Gilpinites who need help affording center activities and access.

Send a message to learn more

06/02/2026

Many thanks to the Gilpin neighbors who came out for the annual Community Center Cleanup on May 30th! We cleared trash and debris along the trail, the buildings, the parking lots and the bleacher area! We supplied the snacks, the Center supplied tools and gloves, and we all lent our energy to the cleanup!

From signup to dumping the huge bags of trash we found into the dumpster, it was a good day!

05/28/2026

Please review the available slots and click on the button to sign up. There are a number of events happening around the Center, so to avoid congestion, we've set up the following schedule. There are two areas for the cleanup: the ballfields and the center. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Gilpin....

05/26/2026

We're still looking for volunteers for the annual cleanup around the Community Center. We're looking for volunteers and you can sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B48ADAF2BA4F5C61-48727380-bleacher #/

Please use the signup link so we know how many snacks and drinks to purchase! We don't do anything else with the list except use it to check you in on the day of the event.

Of course, you're welcome to come even if you don't sign up! We're okay with that, too!

We'll be supplying snacks and drinks, the Center will be supplying tools and buckets and gloves. Bring a hat, sunblock, and water bottle and spend a couple of hours spiffing up the center area!

Please review the available slots and click on the button to sign up. There are a number of events happening around the Center, so to avoid congestion, we've set up the following schedule. There are two areas for the cleanup: the ballfields and the center. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Gilpin....

05/21/2026

Fiber & Fabric Arts at the Gilpin County Fair

Like to sew? Knit? Crochet? Make quilts and other handcrafted items from fibers and fabrics? Please consider submitting your best creations to the Fiber & Fabric Arts contest at the Gilpin County Fair. We will be accepting items at the community center for judging beginning June 22nd through July 13th. Judging takes place July 16th.

More info about entering here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeF-BovaG8NJkJwiRyg3S_T84MlEv4OmINKyY1ixYmoC0IEw/viewform?usp=send_form

There are three classes of entries:

UPCYCLING

Make something new out of something old". Can be clothing, decor, accessories, etc. The idea is to recycle something into a new and fabulous piece of fiber art.

GARMENTS and ACCESSORIES

Includes clothing, hats, belts and other accessories. We've even had leather spur holders and holsters submitted!

QUILTS, HOME DECOR, and MORE

Stitch up your best quilted products, wall hangings, and other home decor!

PRIZES!

One cash grand prize will be awarded courtesy of Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center, plus first-place ribbons for each of these categories, along with ribbons for second and third place winners. All entries will be displayed during the Fair and winners will be announced during the festivities. We ask that all entries be clean and finished. Any entries that show animal hair or dirt will be disqualified.

Last year's competition (shown here) attracted a number of really great entries!

05/16/2026

Our next event is coming up! It's the annual cleanup around the Community Center. We're looking for volunteers and you can sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B48ADAF2BA4F5C61-48727380-bleacher

We'll be supplying snacks and drinks, the Center will be supplying tools and buckets and gloves. Bring a hat, sunblock, and water bottle and spend a couple of hours spiffing up the center area!

Please review the available slots and click on the button to sign up. There are a number of events happening around the Center, so to avoid congestion, we've set up the following schedule. There are two areas for the cleanup: the ballfields and the center. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Gilpin....

05/10/2026

We had a great time at Saturday's Wined-up 5K and Health & Wellness Fair at the Community Center. Many thanks to all who particpated in both events! And, congratulations to the prize winners in the 5K. We had some lovely -- and tasty -- prizes for the fastest participants! Thanks again to all the local sponsors who supplied prizes and beverages!

Our next event is the Annual Gilpin County Community Center cleanup, scheduled for May 30th. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Center and we'll be providing bags, tools, drinks, and snacks to all helpers! Cleanup includes tidying up bleachers at the ballfields, moving twigs, etc. off the hiking trail, and picking up any trash around the facilities. Bring gloves, sunblock, a hat and a jacket (in case the wind blows).

If you want to come and help out, please sign up at this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B48ADAF2BA4F5C61-48727380-bleacher

We'd love to have as many folks as possible help tidy up around the Center and along the trail. Families, teams, scout troops, individuals -- all are welcome to help out!

05/10/2026

Many thanks to all who came out for the Wined-up 5K and Health and Wellness day at the Gilpin County Community Center today!!

We had a great turnout for the 5K and were happy to supply snacks and drinks!

05/05/2026

The Spring Wined-up 5K run/walk event is this Saturday, May 9th and we're incredibly grateful to the following sponsors for providing prizes and beverages for this event:

Mountain Poppy Boutique and Wine Bar, Hi-Heat and Sweets, the Market at Nederland, and Toss Wood-fired Pizza in Rollinsville. Next time you visit one of them, tell 'em you appreciate their support for the event!

We'd also like to thank Tracy Eliasson and Kelly Ragland for donating the wine!

Come on out on Saturday and strut your stuff on the Community Center trail for some great prizes and a good start on spring fitness! It's open to anyone at any level of activity! And, after you race, visit the Health and Wellness Fair at the Community Center.

05/01/2026

Registration for the May 9th Wined-up 5K at the Gilpin County Community Center is open and all are welcome to participate! Walk? Just great! Run? Also great! Prizes for the best in adult and kids categories, plus free drinks! Adult beverages for the 21+ crowd and OJ and water for the younger set!

Signup at the Center, over the phone, or via the handy QR code in the poster below!

See you on the 9th at 9:30 a.m.!

After the run, visit the health and wellness fair, and treat yourself to a tasty snack from the food trucks!

The fun run is a fundraiser for the Friends group, to allow us to provide more services to the Center and our friends and neighbors. To learn more about us, check out GilpinCommunityCenter.org.