The Mancos Days board, which oversees the association and decisions about giving, decided to direct money toward organizations that volunteered at the festival or that have a habit of giving back to the community, according to Mancos Colorado Days Association President Lacey Murphy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s things that people in the community do that actually help people in the community \u2013 that\u2019s kind of what I focused on,\u201d Murphy said when asked how she decided which organizations would receive the donations.<\/p>\n
Among the donation recipients was Girl Scout Troop 26250, co-led by Tressa Jukes, who says that the donation may go toward supporting the troop\u2019s \u201cfirst big overnight trip\u201d in the spring, which would take place over a long weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey (the girls in the troop) are pretty excited,\u201d Jukes said.<\/p>\n
Mancos Little League, co-coached by Anthony Mestas, is receiving one of the donations. Mestas says the team plans to put the money toward an infield at the baseball diamond in Mancos Wayside Park where they currently play.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to thank Mancos Days for their donation, and they\u2019re giving us the opportunity to put some little kids in baseball,\u201d Mestas said.<\/p>\n
Mancos Pay It Forward is also receiving a $1,000 gift. The organization is a 501(c)(3) that accepts grants for small, personal donations that cover various expenses of local residents who are in financial need, as determined by the charity.<\/p>\n
Dana Weaver, a manager of the Pay It Forward fund, said that awarded grants can cover everyday costs like rent, groceries or transportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always try to respond within 24 hours because usually it\u2019s that necessary of a request,\u201d Weaver said. \u201c(For example,) they\u2019re going get pushed out and their utilities are going to get shut off.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization does not pay medical bills because, according, to Weaver, those costs tend to be out of the organization\u2019s range.<\/p>\n
However, many of the fund\u2019s donations have gone toward assistance with other expenses that can overwhelm residents with severe sickness or who are receiving specialized medical treatment. Murphy said she received such help in the form of groceries from the organization when she became sick last year.<\/p>\n
The Mancos Fire Department, which according to Murphy saved the father of one of the Mancos Days board members, also received a $1,000 gift, and the Mancos school district will receive $1,000 to support the construction and furnishing of a new weight room.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mancos Colorado Days Association can not say enough how thankful we are for the support we receive from the communities,\u201d Murphy said in a statement. \u201cAll of the donations, sponsorships, volunteers, participants, attendees and vendors made these donations possible and we can\u2019t wait to see what next year brings!\u201d<\/p>\n