Durango Cyclist joins ‘Yes Ma’am’ campaign

A Durango mountain biking legend and Mercy Regional Medical Center have joined forces in the fight against breast cancer. Shonny Vanlandingham, a member of the LUNA Chix Pro mountain bike team, is helping to raise money for a new breast care center in Durango. Vanlandingham and Mercy jointly designed a limited-edition cycling jersey that is now for sale to the public. All proceeds from sales of the jerseys will be donated to Mercy Health Foundation’s $3.4 million “Yes Ma’am” capital campaign, which is funding equipment and construction of a comprehensive breast care center at Mercy Regional Medical Center.

“One of the most important and rewarding parts of my job as a professional athlete is being able to contribute to causes such as the ‘Yes Ma’am’ campaign.  Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in this country,” said Vanlandingham.

The jersey design features Vanlandingham’s personal touches, including her signature and an arm band with a turtle design reminiscent of tattoo styles of Hawaii, where Vanlandingham lives part time. The jersey’s color scheme is blue and black. The chest and back of the jersey feature the word “Fight” superimposed over a large semi-transparent pink ribbon, representing the fight against breast cancer.

“We created a design that appeals to both men and women because breast cancer touches us all in one way or another and there is universal support for the cause,” said David Bruzzese, spokesman at Mercy Regional Medical Center, who worked with Vanlandingham on the project. “The jerseys not only will raise money for the breast care center, but also will raise awareness about the global fight against breast cancer.” In addition, one of Vanlandingham’s sponsors, Orbea USA, has added some extra momentum to the effort. The company has donated a pink Orbea Diva high-end women’s road bike that Vanlandingham will ride from Durango to Silverton in the 36th annual Iron Horse Bicycle Classic on May 24. After the event, the $3,500 Diva will be auctioned and the proceeds given to the breast care center campaign.  “I encourage the community of Durango to get involved in this effort to help build the most comprehensive breast-cancer facility in the region by purchasing a jersey, riding with me in the Iron Horse tour to Silverton, and bidding on my bike,” said Vanlandingham.

With 15 NORBA National race wins and three NORBA Series Championship titles, Vanlandingham is the most successful rider in NORBA history, male or female.  She splits her time between Durango and Captain Cook, Hawaii. Jerseys can be purchased at Mountain Bike Specialists, 949 Main Ave., or ordered by calling David Bruzzese at 764-3910. 

Microburst dashes greenhouse

A foul wind blew through Durango on Sunday and took one of Community Connections’ longstanding dreams with it. A major microburst totally destroyed the Holly House Greenhouse, which was envisioned as a place where community members could collaborate and mentor people with developmental disabilities while producing fresh food and flowers.

The rogue wind hit the greenhouse, located on Holly Ave. near 31st Street, on Sunday afternoon. After a quick gust, the approximately 300-square-foot hoop house lay in tatters on the ground. The temporary structure was valued at $5,500 and built using funds from a Southern Ute Gaming Grant.

Jackie Morlan, Community Connections, Inc.’s executive director, visited the site shortly after the destruction. Though she was gratified that nobody was injured in the freak accident, the devastation was shocking.

“After I recovered from seeing the green house, fencing and miscellaneous items sprayed across the hillside of the Holly House and down the street, I started realizing that we probably had more than $10,000 worth of damage from maybe a two-minute burst of wind,” she said.  

Community Connection is already working on replacing the greenhouse but needs assistance with funding. The greenhouse will be the winter cornerstone of a new “community garden collaborative,” which includes the Fort Lewis College Environmental Center and The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado among others. Holly House was the season-extension piece of the puzzle. Winterizing would have allowed the collaborative to start earlier in the spring and go longer in the fall and maintain some hardier crops through the winter.

The purpose of the community garden collaborative is to share knowledge, supplies and effort to support the community and school gardens in La Plata County as well as giving Community Connections a chance to create a year-round program for its clients. “Now we need help from the community repairing the dream I shared with many of our staff to build another greenhouse that can benefit the clients we serve and the community,” Morlan said.

For more information, contact Julie Dreyfuss, Community Connections development director, at 385-3440 or visit www.cci-colorado.org.

Community Connections, Inc. is a Durango-based nonprofit that has served Southwest Colorado residents with developmental disabilities for more than 20 years.

SJMA pays visit to the White House

One of Durango’s top nonprofits paid a visit to Washington, D.C., last week. The San Juan Mountains Association was invited to the White House on May 12 to attend the unveiling of the new Preserve America Stewards Initiative. Susan Bryson, executive director, and Ruth Lambert, cultural program director, were in attendance.

This new initiative recognizes existing programs that have demonstrated a successful use of volunteer time and commitment to help care for our cultural heritage. SJMA’s Cultural Site Stewardship Program actually served as the inspiration for the formation of the new initiative. The SJMA program was created to monitor and protect cultural sites and ruins in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, west of Cortez.

Last week’s event, originally scheduled to be held on the East Lawn of the White House, was moved indoors because of inclement weather. The nearest indoor facility was the White House itself, and the presentation was made in the East Room of the East Wing by First Lady Laura Bush. While President Bush was also on the agenda, Bryson and Lambert were informed that he was touring the devastation caused by recent tornados and would be a no-show.  

Bryson and Lambert were then treated to another reception at the Willard International Hotel. At the gathering, the pair had the opportunity to speak with John Nau, chairman of the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, the agency that oversees the Preserve America Program. Nau recalled the trip he made to Durango in the fall of 2006 and recounted his experience meeting SJMA site stewards. He then told Bryson and Lambert that “SJMA started the whole thing,” adding that volunteer work on public land should be recognized at a national level.

– Will Sands