Add Some Sparkle to Your Holidays and Help Bring A New Shine to the Colorado State Capitol Dome!

Nov 15, 2011 by kcarroll

2011 Share in the Care Colorado Commemorative Ornaments Available Now

Denver, CO – Colorado Preservation, Inc. announced today that the first 1,000 donors who make a tax-deductible gift of $100 or more, beginning Nov. 1, 2011, to Share in the Care Colorado will receive a handcrafted, limited-edition, holiday ornament depicting the Colorado State Capitol dome in glimmering bronze relief. The 2011 Share in the Care Colorado commemorative ornament, sponsored by BP America, Inc., is the first in a limited edition series of four designed to annually mark the progress of the lengthy restoration of the dome of Colorado’s iconic statehouse.

“The people of our State can add some real sparkle to their holidays, while helping to bring a new shine to the Colorado State Capitol Dome,” Kasia Iwaniczko MacLeod, Share in the Care Colorado Campaign Strategy Director said. “Donating to the campaign is a festive way to get involved and share in the care!”

Colorado Preservation, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1984 to promote historic preservation by providing information, education, training, expertise and advocacy has taken on the critical role of heading up Share in the Care Colorado, the statewide campaign to restore the Colorado State Capitol dome.

“BP America has been operating in Colorado since 1901 – the same year our State Capitol was officially completed – so it is an honor to have its participation as a key sponsor of the inaugural holiday ornament. BP along with the other businesses and individuals who have already participated in the campaign, realize that this is a shared and unique opportunity as Coloradans to celebrate our history and be good stewards of a special treasure in Colorado that belongs to us all,” MacLeod added.

“Since our beginnings in the past century as a marketer of kerosene in Colorado, BP has been a leader in natural gas development and continues to make investments for a new energy future through wind and solar operations in the state. BP also fuels the communities of Colorado with investments in important civic organizations statewide, so on behalf of our over 400 employees in Colorado, I’m pleased to join Share in the Care Colorado in supporting the dome restoration effort,” said Lisa Hough, local spokesperson for BP America.

Supporters of the Share in the Care campaign can obtain their own limited edition holiday ornament with a donation of $100 or more.

Order a Commemorative Ornament Today!

Help Share in the Care Colorado by ordering a commemorative ornament today. To ensure delivery by the holidays, donations should be made by November 19. Simply visit www.shareinthecarecolorado.org and click on the ornament icon to make a donation of $100 or more. Ornaments will be delivered to you by December 19, 2011, in time to give as gifts for the holidays.

Support from AT&T Colorado has also made it easy for the public to participate in the campaign. Simply text the word DOME from any wireless phone or device to 50555 to make a $10 donation.

To give more, donate online at www.ShareInTheCareColorado.org or send your gift by check made payable to Capitol Restoration Trust Fund c/o Colorado Preservation, Inc., 2100 Downing St., Denver, CO 80205. ALL individual donations are tax-deductible and are specifically restricted to the restoration of the capitol dome.

Contact: Danielle Dascalos ddascalos@comcast.net 720-837-3845

Editor’s notes:

Why Does the Dome Need Repair?

The Colorado capitol dome needs restoration because the exterior structure of the dome and the architectural details that decorate its surface are made of cast iron and are damaged. Water infiltration and the intense freeze-thaw cycle of the Colorado climate has weakened the mild steel bolts and screws holding the hundreds of pieces of the architectural assembly together. The observation deck has been closed to all visitors since a portion of the cast iron cladding fell on it when fasteners failed in 2006. A complete assessment of the damage has been completed since then, and the dome restoration will begin in early 2012. The extensive repair process, which involves covering the exterior of the dome, complete removal of paint covering the cast iron and the replacement of the 110 year-old mild steel bolts with new stainless steel fasteners, is expected to take more than two years.

How Can We Afford To Repair The Dome in This Economic Climate?

In 2010, the legislature appropriated $4 million from the State Historical Fund so that restoration efforts could begin but Colorado Preservation, Inc. is helping to raise the remaining $13 million needed privately. If the funds are raised privately, State Historical Fund grants can continue to be made available to communities in all 64 Colorado counties, which will help secure $78 million of economic activity in towns across Colorado at a time when communities need it most.

Many individuals, local businesses and non profit organizations have already stepped up to help including AngloGold Ashanti and the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, the Colorado Mining Association, KUSA-TV/9News, the Colorado Education Association, Comcast, KEZW and KOSI radio, CBS Outdoor, AT&T Colorado, Colorado Humanities, Circuit Media, and Havey Productions.