Submitted by CCSD
It began with a dream to bring people together, to build partnerships, to make a powerful, positive difference for children and community.
In early 2001, Jay and Kristina Davidson were looking for a new and different way to use their time, talents and resources to make a meaningful and long-lasting impact in the community. They had raised two successful children, Michelle and Josh. They had founded First American State Bank, one of Colorado’s leading independent banks. They supported a variety of worthwhile charitable and community organizations, including the Volunteers of America, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the Kempe Children’s Foundation.
“Jay is a very enlightened CEO who recognizes the importance of businesses giving back to the community,” said Jean Galloway, president of the Galloway Group, a community relations, marketing and public relations firm specializing in strategic community investment. “But Jay wants to do much more than just write a check.”
: Kristina and Jay Davidson, founders of the First American State Bank Fitness Festival, are surrounded by participants of the “dream” inspired event that will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Sept. 11.
Galloway was working with the Davidsons to focus their philanthropy and develop a strategic approach to community engagement.
“Their children went through the Cherry Creek School District, so CCSD was very important to them,” said Galloway. “We put together a vision of how they could truly impact that particular population.”
The Davidsons and Galloway developed the concept of the First American State Bank Fitness Festival, then met with Brenda Holben, former Prevention Coordinator for Cherry Creek Schools, and members of the district’s Community Asset Project. CAP is a group of parents, educators, students and community members working to foster school-community partnerships and build developmental assets – 40 common sense things that help youth grow up to be responsible, caring, motivated and healthy adults.
“Five minutes with Brenda Holben and she’s got you hooked,” Galloway said.
And so the dream became reality. The inaugural First American State Bank Fitness Festival, benefitting CAP, was held in August 2001.
Throughout its 10 years the First American State Bank Fitness Festival has attracted thousands of participants and raised more than $600,000 for the Community Assets Project. Photos courtesy of CCSD.
The event has always included a 5K Run/Walk, fun fitness activities for the whole family, sports and media celebrities, outstanding entertainment, and a fabulous after-party featuring healthy and delicious food from area restaurants. But it has evolved to include the Cherry Creek Fitness Challenge, which encourages elementary school students and their families to stay active all summer, and an emphasis on overall wellness, which aligns with the district’s comprehensive Wellness Strategy.
“This event serves as a model for other communities to emulate,” said Janise McNally, Wellness Coordinator for Cherry Creek Schools. “It is unique and impressive that this partnership not only strengthens our message about the importance of physical activity and community connections, it also serves as a valuable fundraiser for important programs in our schools.”
In the past decade, the First American State Bank Fitness Festival has attracted thousands of participants, raised nearly $600,000 for CAP-supported programs, and become a national model for business-school-community partnerships.
“This is one of the most amazing school-community events in the country,” said Holben. “The Davidsons have built a partnership that has mobilized and united the Cherry Creek School District – students, parents and community members – to ensure that all youth reach their individual and academic potential.”
“The Davidsons are our angels,” said Wendy DeBell, former Board of Education president and current School-Community Partnership Coordinator for Cherry Creek Schools. “They have created a critical funding source that impacts our students in a positive way every day. The benefits are long-standing and sustainable.”
Karen Fisher, CAP Fundraising chair, said, “Kristina and Jay care so deeply about the well-being of Cherry Creek kids. They really take the time to understand the need for the various programs that CAP is able to fund with the First American State Bank Fitness Festival proceeds.”
Those programs include:
• Positive Behavior Support teaches and reinforces positive behaviors, rather than punishing negative behaviors. The program prevents many problems in the first place, and consequently, reduces behavior issues, positively impacts school safety and increases instructional time.
• WEB and Link Crew is a program that promotes caring school climates through a student orientation and transition process that helps incoming sixth and ninth-graders feel comfortable in a new school environment.
• LifeSkills is a research-validated substance abuse prevention program proven to reduce the risk of alcohol, tobacco and drug use, as well as violence, by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote risky behaviors.
• Signs of Suicide uses video and direct adult instruction to teach youth how to identify symptoms of depression and suicide in themselves or their friends and to respond effectively by seeking help from a trusted adult using the Acknowledge, Care and Tell or ACT model.
• Family Wellness Summit is a community-wide event featuring hands-on demonstrations, interactive exhibits and other activities in the areas of Psychological, Nutritional, Environmental, Physical and Health Care Wellness.
The programs have a very real and positive effect on Cherry Creek schools, students and families.
“The power of our multi-faceted WEB program amazes me each year as I watch our eighth-graders develop into positive role models while our sixth-graders develop confidence and establish connections with classmates in a healthy environment,” said Chellie McCourt, assistant principal at West Middle School. “We are fortunate to be involved with the First American State Bank Fitness Festival because they invest in our future by providing funds to helps us sustain a strong WEB program.”
Felicia Pugh, COSA at Horizon Community Middle School, said, “As many people know, the middle school years are a difficult period of self-doubt and great insecurity, which can result in behaviors that are counterproductive to learning. We are very grateful that proceeds from the First American State Bank Fitness Festival allowed us to implement the Positive Behavior Support program to promote and reward behaviors that foster civic responsibility and improve student achievement.”
Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Mary Chesley has watched the First American State Bank Fitness Festival grow into a celebration of health and community that students, staff and parents look forward to, and benefit from, all year long.
“The First American State Bank Fitness Festival provides funding for proven programs that support our students and their academic success,” said Chesley. “In this era of economic crisis and state budget shortfalls, we would not be able to sustain those programs without the generous and ongoing support of Jay and Kristina Davidson, First American State Bank, and the community coalition that they have forged. For that, the entire Cherry Creek Schools community is, and always will be, deeply grateful.”
