The Kirstie Ennis Foundation, a nonprofit in Glenwood Springs, will host its third annual Oktoberfest fundraiser at Sunlight Mountain Resort on Oct. 14 from 11am to 8pm.
The entertainment will feature live music from Peach Street Revival and The Know Bodies Band. There’ll be food, drinks and beer from various Roaring Fork vendors, plus an outdoor recreational gear raffle. All proceeds from the event will go toward outdoor therapy clinics the foundation provides to veterans, cancer survivors and amputees .
“You’re going to have a great time at Oktoberfest. It’s beautiful here this time of year, when you can enjoy all of the fall colors … We just kind of have fun with this. You’ll be able to get to know who we are, and it’s going to be a great day.” stated Megan Salisbury, the foundation’s coordinator.
The organization, which Salisbury endearingly referred to as ‘small but mighty,’ was founded by Kirstie Ennis, a Glenwood Springs local and retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant. She lost her left leg in a helicopter accident in 2012, which ended her military career. Then, she was provided the opportunity to snowboard through an organization. Later, she discovered she too had a passion for bringing healing to others by way of outdoor recreation.
“One unique aspect about us is we provide all of the gear needed so that people can continue an activity as an ongoing form of outdoor therapy,” said Salisbury. “For example, we have a women’s snowboarding clinic. They leave with all of the gear, including a new snowboard, so they can continue snowboarding and continue healing.”
This Oktoberfest celebration started with Ennis’ and the foundation’s desire to bring the communities in and around Glenwood Springs together. The fundraiser has inspired connections within and outside of the Valley, including Juneshine — a hard kombucha and spirits company based in San Diego.
“Every Oktoberfest keeps getting more fun. Last year was a lot of fun; we got more interaction with the crowd and people coming up wanting to hear more [about the foundation],” Salisbury stated. Plus, “We had a ton of alumni that have gone through the program, and they were able to share their stories.”
“One of the hardest things for nonprofits to be able to express is what it is we’re doing,” she continued. “ We can tell you our mission and what our programs are, but hearing from our alumni and the impact it has, and continues to, is important.”
Salisbury spoke to the importance of providing a platform for past participants to tell their stories, while also spreading the word so others might hear about its offerings. Furthermore, the foundation prides itself on building community among its participants.
Fortunately for Oktoberfest enthusiasts, the organization wishes to keep growing this fundraiser as the years go on. She says that despite it being a lot of work, they love putting it on and want to continue.
For those who wish to donate to the foundation, Salisbury noted that “We have an IRS rating of 94% which means that 94 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to our programming, and we are very proud of that rating.”