Niwot Children’s Park receives statewide award

Local families have known for some time that the Niwot Children’s Park is an exceptional place, but now there is hardware to prove it.

In a small ceremony held in storybook corner on Aug. 9, representatives from the Colorado Lottery and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) formally presented the park’s 2018 Starburst Award, which recognizes “excellence in the use of Lottery funds for community and conservation projects.”

In her opening remarks, Colorado Lottery Communications Manager Jennifer Churchill said several factors made this project an award-winner, most notably the community involvement it inspired.

“It brought Niwot together,” she said. The project received $140,000 from the Colorado Lottery, while additional funds for the 1.068 million-dollar project were raised through grants, donations and community events. “It’s always great to have good partners and work with your neighbors and agencies that can help make things happen. Because as we all know, it takes a village to make something as awesome as this park.”

Churchill said they also considered the growing proportion of children in the area, as well as the park’s “state-of-the-art equipment” and educational features that promote Colorado’s cultural history. The park also seems to have had a positive social and economic impact on the area.

“We’ve heard from people on social media spreading the news that this park is really fun,” Churchill said. “This is a destination park for kids and families in Boulder County.”

Speaking on behalf of the county, Commissioner Cindy Domenico said it was a pleasure to accept the award for a park that she, and fellow commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones “absolutely love.”

“We’re happy to be partners with the town of Niwot in helping make it happen,” she said. Boulder County officially owns the property until 2038, when the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) can purchase it for one dollar. “Ours was a little piece; they did all the heavy lifting, all the huge work to really make it happen”

She then paused to point out her favorite feature, “I have to digress for just a minute, because that mammoth over there is awesome.”

Biff Warren accepted the award on behalf of the NCAA, which spearheaded the project and now oversees upkeep and maintenance of the park. Warren spoke of the critical role played by Jeff and Cynthia Lambert, who first conceived of the park and were the primary donors for the project. NCAA board members Alyson Bell, Michelle Henzel, Vicki Maurer, Anne Postle and Holly D’Apolito were also on hand.

Warren was followed by Bridgette McCarthy from Boulder County Parks & Open Space, who worked on the Lottery grant application, and building committee members, including local landscape architect Jim Fletemeyer, who was instrumental in designing the park, Riki Frea, who headed the fundraising, and Tim Wise, who helped organize community volunteers.

The Niwot Children’s Park was one of 11 statewide projects to receive the prestigious Starburst Award in 2018, and the only one in Boulder County. Other winning venues this year include Horsetooth Foothills Conservation Project in Fort Collins, and the Hillsboro SkatePark in Milliken. Since its debut in 1981, the Colorado Lottery has disbursed more than $3 billion for parks, education, and open space projects throughout the state.