DENVER — This month, we are celebrating 70 years of Denver7, reminiscing about people, places and events. We also want to give back to some of the places that make Colorado special.
For my final story with Denver7, it's my turn to pick a place — History Colorado.
"It's been around 144 years, keeping Colorado stories," said Dawn DiPrince, president and CEO of History Colorado. "The people who founded the state knew how essential it was to have an official memory keeper, and that is why they created us.
History Colorado's purpose is to connect current Coloradans with their past.
"We know it's very important for young people to feel rooted in where they're from, but it's important for us adults, too. You know, our self-identity is completely made up of understanding where we come from and who came before us," said DiPrince.
At History Colorado, you can experience what it was like to live on the Eastern Plains during a dustbowl, learn about the 10th Mountain Division — military members who trained high in the mountains to take on enemy troops in World War II — and see a collection of stories I narrated of Coloradans inducted into the Latino Hall of Fame who helped our state become the magical place it is today.
"We are in one of my very favorite exhibits right now 'On The Borderlands of Southern Colorado,' which really tells a story of the people who lived in Southern Colorado for many, many generations," said DiPrince.
Southern Colorado was my first-ever connection to History Colorado. I visited the fort in Fort Garland as a child and took my own children there.
The museum in Fort Garland is one of 11 community museums outside of metro Denver and can be found in places like Platteville, Leadville and Montrose — all designed to capture the curiosities of our Colorado kids.
"It helps build all of our future historians, people who will preserve and protect stories of Colorado," said DiPrince.
If you'd like to give back to History Colorado, visit denver7.com/gives and select "Give to History Colorado: Borderlands of Southern Colorado" from the drop-down menu. Money raised will support preservation efforts at History Colorado.
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
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