Every Thursday, something small but meaningful happens across the Roaring Fork Valley.
Outside the Village Smithy… at a City Market… at a local library… someone pauses at a news box, pulls out a fresh copy of The Sopris Sun, and takes a moment to reconnect with what’s happening close to home.
It’s a simple act. But it represents something profound: A community choosing connection.
So today, I want to simply say, “thank you.”
Whether you donated this year, advertised, shared a news tip or simply picked up the paper from a box on a Thursday morning, thank you for being part of what makes this possible.
This year, The Sopris Sun took part in the statewide #newsCOneeds challenge, an effort to strengthen independent journalism across Colorado. Together, newsrooms and supporters raised more than $551,000 for local news.
Here at home, you helped The Sopris Sun raise just over $150,000 through donations and matching grants. We were honored to receive top recognition in our cohort for both dollars raised and the number of unique donors.
But the truth is, this isn’t really about awards.
It’s about what they represent: A valley that believes journalism is worth sustaining.
The Sopris Sun isn’t owned by distant corporations. We aren’t driven by outside agendas. We’re a community-owned nonprofit newspaper, built on a simple idea: That trustworthy, independent reporting matters right here, where we live.
Your support keeps stories in print and reporters in the field. It also means the world to our small staff and the freelance writers, photographers and contributors who bring this paper to life each week. Because of you, we can keep doing this work with care, integrity and pride.
Over the past few years, this valley has helped The Sopris Sun innovate and grow, and we’re proud of what our community has built together.
It helps us cover government, schools, housing, water and the issues that shape daily life. These are the decisions that affect your kids, your neighborhood, your taxes and the future of this place we all share.
It helps sustain Sol del Valle, our Spanish-language newspaper, and Sopris Stars, our youth journalism program. This ensures more voices are heard, and more stories are told, across our region.
And The Sopris Sun isn’t just about informing our community. It’s about strengthening our community, too.
This year, our Annual Giving Guide helped raise more than $2 million for over 100 local nonprofits, connecting neighbors with causes and generating real support across the Valley. That’s the kind of ripple effect a truly local newspaper can have.
Across the country, local papers continue to disappear. When they do, communities lose connection, accountability and a shared source of truth. The fact that this valley continues to show up, week after week, is a powerful reminder of what community-powered journalism can be.
Whether you’ve supported us for years or are picking up the paper for the first time, we’re grateful to have you with us. And if you’ve never contributed before, we hope you’ll consider joining in, in whatever way you can.
Strong communities don’t just read the news, they sustain it.
ChatGPT assistance was used by the author to help shorten this column.