Longmont Kiwanis Carves Toy Cars, Connections with Local Youth

Members of the Kiwanis Club in Longmont, Colo., teach young budding craftsmen, most typically elementary school children, how to design, cut, whittle and refine woodblocks into toy cars that are then donated to local hospitalized and underserved children in the community. The project provided the novice woodcarvers with the chance to learn the old-time craft and foster new connections in the community. Outside of woodworking, other ongoing projects throughout the year include collecting shoes and books for kids in need, Salvation Army bell ringing during the holidays and other various fundraising activities.

The Kiwanis International footprint wraps around the globe, with thousands of Kiwanis clubs striving to serve the needs of children in every community through service projects and fundraising. Its work is rooted in local community action. Each year, the organization raises more than $100 million to support various projects at the community level. By empowering local members, the Kiwanis clubs are able to sponsor roughly 150,000 service projects — amounting to about 18.5 million service hours — each year.

At Les Schwab Tire Centers, we’re proud to support the important work undertaken by the Longmont Kiwanis Club and Kiwanis International. Our core values inspire us to serve as active and contributing members of those communities where we operate, and we view Kiwanis as a valuable partner in that mission, in Longmont and beyond.

To learn more, or to get involved as a volunteer, check out the Kiwanis International website or like the Longmont Club’s page on Facebook.

Through 4-H, Family Forges Bond with Community, Each Other

Jeff and Donna Wiechman have been involved with their local 4-H Club in Jefferson County, Colorado, for nearly 40 years. Jeff Wiechman was a 4-H member as a child, and the couple’s three daughters have all participated over the years.

“So many adults gave their time to support, encourage and teach our kids, and we wanted to do the same for others,” Jeff said.

Today, the Wiechmans repay that support by donating their time and expertise to the next generation. 4-H is America’s largest youth development organization, empowering nearly 6 million young people with a consistent focus on cultivating leadership skills. Its programs allow children to perform hands-on projects in agriculture, science and citizenship, all while receiving guidance from adult mentors.

For the Wiechmans, helping to foster deep relationships — both with each other and the greater community — is the most rewarding. Their two oldest girls have both spent countless hours teaching their youngest to clip, sheer and show her animals, and have gone to new members’ homes to help them learn the same.

It was through Jefferson County’s 4-H programs that the Wiechmans were first introduced to the Les Schwab family, specifically local employees Chris Wiggins and Josh Bryant.

“Probably the most incredible part of this program is watching business people like Chris and Josh, at Les Schwab, interact with our girls and help support their 4-H and college dreams at the livestock auction,” Donna Wiechman said. “This leaves us speechless every year.”

“We believe this program helps these kids grow in responsibility, work ethic and business skills,” Jeff said. “The organization is such an example of generosity for this next generation that we believe it will be passed on for generations to come.”

Throughout the West, Les Schwab Tire Centers is a proud supporter of 4-H Club and its educational programs. For more information, or to get involved with the 4-H near you, visit the official 4-H website.

Enterprising Students Score Big With Les Schwab Parking Lot

Location, location, location is the formula for success in real estate, and in Denver, it’s paying off for North High School students. The hard-working group has been raising money for their school by parking cars for Denver Broncos fans in the Federal Boulevard Les Schwab parking lot since 2012.

North High School is within walking distance of Mile High Stadium, where the Broncos play. Even better, the Les Schwab Tire Center on Federal Boulevard is just a block away from the stadium.

Store Manager Ed Ferrell saw proximity and he saw an opportunity. When he opened the store in 2012, he offered the parking lot to the students to sell parking spaces to fans attending Broncos games. The proceeds go toward North High School activities: drama, band, choir and more than 20 boys and girls sports teams. Altogether, the students’ parking lot fundraisers have earned approximately $35,000 per year for four years.

The students staff the parking lot in two shifts: one parks the cars and a second monitors the lot during the game. The lot sees plenty of use during the preseason and regular season home games every year, and sometimes more often than that. In 2015, the students reaped the benefits of two extra games of fundraising as the Broncos hosted playoff games. The Broncos won the Super Bowl championship, defeating the Carolina Panthers 24-10.

North High students have funded an array of activities. The yearbook committee was able to subsidize the cost of the yearbooks so they were affordable to all students. After the baseball team won the city title for the first time in 16 years, team members used their funds to play in a summer league and maintain training. The drama group was able to purchase the rights to the popular musical, “Grease,” which then sold out — an unprecedented event — and they earned back the money they’d invested.

“They’re very community oriented,” said North High School Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Kevin Bendjy of his friends at the Federal Boulevard Les Schwab. “Since we began fundraising there, we’ve been able to provide new uniforms and equipment for nearly all of our sports teams. We were even able to launch our boys and girls lacrosse teams, which each have more than 30 student-athletes participating.”

The store’s generosity led to an unexpected new role for Ferrell, who was named Grand Marshal of the North High homecoming parade. The school is hoping to fund a scoreboard with future earnings, and when it’s up, we’ll be in the stands cheering on the team.

6 Fall Color Day Trips Near Denver Not to Miss

That extra chill in the morning air means fall colors will soon be peaking. Here are six of the best leaf-peeping drives you can do from Denver in an afternoon or a day. Don’t delay: The best time to experience Mother Nature’s autumn art show is September through mid-October.

Before You Go

Check your tire pressure. You lose some tire pressure (tires get slightly flatter) as you travel to higher altitudes, since the atmospheric pressure decreases (as in the expression “thin air”). Colder temperatures will also cause a slight loss in tire pressure.

If you’re just planning on a day trip, all you need to do is fill your tires to the full, proper PSI (pounds per square inch) before you leave and be sure they aren’t underinflated. Although your tires will lose about two PSI if you travel from 5,000 to 10,000 feet in altitude, they’ll regain this PSI upon descent. If your autumn adventure extends over several days, it’s a good idea to have your tire pressure checked and set the morning after arriving at altitude and when you get back home.

Check road conditions. Fall weather is unpredictable and roads can become impassable with little notice. Know before you go.

1. Eldorado Canyon State Park and Clear Creek

The Drive: 51-mile loop trip, around 90 minutes

Considered one of 10 state parks not to miss by SmarterTravel.com, Eldorado Canyon State Park is easy to get to and fall leaves aren’t the only allure here. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, climbing, picnicking, wildlife watching and fishing are all popular uses. It’s also a great destination for birders, with recorded sightings of golden eagles, prairie falcons, wild turkeys, blue grouse and about 75 other species.

Get there early and bring the $8 entrance fee. When parking reaches capacity, you may have to wait until another vehicle leaves to enter.

Return via Golden and stop for a walk along the Clear Creek Trail, a paved path framed by colorful trees along a bubbling waterway.

Click for the route to Eldorado Canyon State Park and Golden.

2. Guanella Pass

The Drive: 123-mile loop trip, 2 hours 45 minutes

The 11-mile stretch of Guanella Pass Road between Georgetown and the Mount Bierstadt trailhead provides as-good-as-it-gets leaf peeping without leaving your car. Admire vivid reds, yellows and oranges and contrasting greens of aspens, willows and evergreens, along with plenty of vistas around every switchback. Don’t miss the view of Mount Bierstadt and Mount Evans from the parking lot at the top of the pass, which has an elevation of 11,600 feet.

Other nice stops along the way are the Mount Bierstadt Trail, suitable for hikers and picnickers young and old, the quaint town of Bailey and Staunton State Park.

Click for the route to Guanella Pass.

3. Collegiate Peaks Scenic and Historic Byway

The Drive: 254-mile loop trip, 4 hours 40 minutes

The Collegiate Peaks Scenic and Historic Byway goes from Granite to Buena Vista to Salida to Poncha Springs. Some of the best scenery is in the stretch between Granite and Buena Vista, where the fall foliage has Buffalo Peaks as a stunning backdrop.

You’ll parallel the Continental Divide at the foot of the Sawatch Range, with views of the highest concentration of 14ers in the country. You’ll also follow a good stretch of the Arkansas River with its famed white water.

Click for this portion of the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway.

4. Golden Gate Canyon State Park

The Drive: 49-mile round trip, 1 hour 15 minutes

A short drive from west Denver will get you to this state park with miles of hiking trails, rocky peaks, and aspen-filled meadows. Enjoy fishing ponds, picnic sites and the Panorama Point Scenic Overlook, where visitors can see 100 miles of the Continental Divide.

>Don’t miss the 3.6-mile Horseshoe Trail which meanders along a running stream past boulders, stands of aspen, meadows and mountain views.

Click for the route to Golden Gate Canyon State Park.

5. Kenosha Pass

The Drive: 126-mile round trip, 2 hours 30 minutes

The Kenosha Pass Trail is hard to beat for autumn scenery. Walking just 3 miles on the east side of Highway 285 will lead you through dazzling stands of aspens to a 270-degree view of green and gold forests with 13ers and 14ers stacked up behind.

Click for the route to Kenosha Pass.

6. Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway

The Drive: 149-mile loop trip, 3 hours 40 minutes

Colorado’s oldest scenic byway, the Peak to Peak offers some great tourism sites along with spectacular foliage. This drive takes you through Rocky Mountain National Park and offers up views of the Continental Divide. Look for mine tailings (scrap rock from Gold Rush mines that was dumped down the sides of mountains) along the road from Ward to Black Hawk. A short side trip just before you get to Black Hawk will take you to the lesser-known ghost town of Apex. Also worth a detour: the 1890s-era Goldminer Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, located a few miles west of Nederland.

Click for the route to the Peak to Peak Byway.

Tire pressure checks are always free at Les Schwab Tires. Stop by before and after your high-altitude adventures.