Article and Photos by Shirin McArthur
Silver City residents and nonprofit organizations from around Grant County gathered in Gough Park on Tuesday, May 5, to "Give Grandly" in celebration of the National Day of Giving known as Give Local America.
Give Grandly 2015
Give Grandly 2015
Fred Grahn, President of Grant County Senior Olympics, discusses pickleball with Larry Godfrey
Give Grandly 2015
Candace Mead of Senior Olympics demonstrates the pickleball racquet and ball
Give Grandly 2015
Janet Ortiz and Sr. Rosie Farrell talk about the Gila Mimbres Community Radio
Give Grandly 2015
Gail Law, Vice President of Literacy Link G?? Leamos, at right, -?shares a laugh with Peter Swolak
Give Grandly 2015
Kate Kendig talks with Marilynn Freeman about her experiences with the Lotus Center
Give Grandly 2015
Pat Montgomery and Freddie Frederick represent End of the Road horse rescue ranch-?`^
Give Grandly 2015
Gough Park was filled with conversations
Give Grandly 2015
Tom Hester and Kate Kendig fill out survey forms at Southwest Festival for the Written Word
Give Grandly 2015
Matthew Sommerville leads a sample yoga class for the Lotus Center
Give Grandly 2015
Mary Cowan, Jane Spinti and Heidi Ogas are board members for High Desert Humane Society, which brought along some dogs in need of adoption
Give Grandly 2015
ylvia Madrid, counselor and offender director for El Refugio, sells raffle tickets to Kendra Milligan
Give Grandly 2015
Kate Kendig of the Gila Valley Mobile Food Pantry talks about regional hunger issues with a visitor-?`^
Give Grandly 2015
Deandra Rivera talks with Veronica Maynes and Chris Jepson of Grant County First Born and More
Seeking to "showcase the value of local philanthropic giving, bring together new and existing donors with local nonprofits, illustrating the power of community engagement," Give Grandly was one of more than 100 community giving events taking place across the nation on Tuesday. Supported by the Grant County Community Foundation, this is the second year that Grant County nonprofits have participated in the National Day of Giving.
Give Grandly has two aspects: an online donation website at https://www.givegrandly.org/ and the in-person event at Gough Park. Over 40 organizations participated, representing a number of categories ranging from health and human services to community improvement and the environment.
Many organizations sought to entice visitors with raffles, free books, and even the chance to participate in a sample yoga class. Southwest Festival of the Written Word asked visitors to participate in a brief survey, listing the authors they are currently reading, while El Refugio raffled off a giant parrot piñata.
The gathering in Gough Park was also an educational opportunity. Fred Grahn, President of Grant County Senior Olympics, explained that many organizations are now calling themselves "Senior Games" instead of "Olympics" to encourage a less competitive focus, and that "senior" is now considered forty years old in some areas of the country.
Their sports activities are organized by age range and provide an opportunity for participants to meet people in their age group. He also stated that pickleball, which is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton and tennis, is growing fast amongst older generations because those with physical limitations can play.
This photojournalist learned that Grant County has a "food desert," something that is usually considered an urban phenomenon. Meaning "an area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food," that definition now also describes the Gila Valley, where 90-100 households receive a monthly food distribution from the Gila Valley Mobile Food Pantry to help offset the fact that there is no grocery store in the Gila Valley.
Visitors could also meet some of the dogs available for adoption by the High Desert Humane Society and partake of a barbeque lunch.
Donations will be accepted until midnight, tonight, Tuesday, May 5.