Thanks to the Denver Nuggets historic championship season, 47 local non-profits are able to further their missions to help those in need in Colorado. Kroenke Sports Charities, an arm of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, gave away $680,000 to those organizations during halftime of the Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game on Monday.
Organizations like Integrated Family Community Services in Englewood reaped the benefits of the championship playoff run last season.
KSC sold tickets to watch parties as well as rally towels to fans. The proceeds from those events and sales were pooled into the fund going to the 47 charities.
IFCS serves its community in many ways, but its food pantry is among the most heavily relied upon by locals.
“Whenever there is a crisis in the community people come to us,” said Todd McPherson, director of development for IFCS.
IFCS has been operating for decades, offering its clients access to free fresh foods, frozen meats, dairy products and much more. When open, dozens of families come through their pantry lines every hour.
“We serve over 6,000 people per month,” McPherson said. “If we can alleviate parts of the food budget, they can put money toward things people can’t help them with. The bald tires, medical bills and school supplies. The expenses of life.”
Perian Cooper spent many years leaning on IFCS to help her make ends meet.
“I have been through the same thing (current shoppers) are going through,” Cooper said.
Cooper spent many years visiting the pantry as a resource to help feed her daughter. In the years to follow she started volunteering and eventually was hired onto the paid staff at IFCS.
“Finances were tight, as a single mother. It helped my daughter and I a lot. We were paycheck to paycheck,” Cooper said.
46 other agencies were also involved in the donations from KSC. Those include:
1. A Precious Child
2. BeyondHome
3. Boys & Girls Club of Pueblo County
4. Child Advocates- Denver CASA
5. Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
6. Children’s Museum of Denver
7. Clayton Early Learning
8. Colorado Pet Pantry
9. Colorado Springs Sports Corporation
10. Community Food Share
11. Craig Hospital Foundation
12. Denver Children’s Home
13. Denver Dream Center
14. Denver Rescue Mission
15. Denver Tennis Park
16. Dream on 3, Rocky Mountain
17. Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFFA)
18. Family Tree, Inc.
19. Food Bank of the Rockies
20. Food For Thought Denver
21. Gigi’s Playhouse Denver, Down Syndrome Achievement Centers
22. HopeKids
23. Hope’s Promise
24. Integrated Family Community Services
25. Kids First Health Care
26. Make-A-Wish Colorado
27. MCA Denver
28. Mercy Housing Mountain Plains
29. National Sports Center for the Disabled
30. Parkinson Association of the Rockies
31. Quality Community Foundation
32. Reading Partners
33. River Deep Foundation
34. Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation
35. Rocky Mountain MS Center
36. Soldiers’ Angels
37. Special Olympics Colorado
38. Sun Valley Youth Center
39. Tennyson Center for Children
40. There With Care
41. United Services Organization Inc.
42. Urban Peak
43. Warren Village
44. We Don’t Waste
45. WeeCycle
46. Youth on Record
47. Zuma’s Rescue Ranch
“Through the celebrations, through the playoffs, through the championship, organizations like ours can benefit. Kroenke Sports Charities is generous enough to share that,” McPherson said. “Helping people with basic needs in life, the things we often take for granted is the sustenance to get them to the next level of self-sustainability.
“Your support of the team has a lasting impact and goes deep into the community to nourish lives and make a difference,” McPherson said.
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