Special to the Daily
Raising money for good causes comes with a good bit of waiting, nervousness and moments of exhilaration. The campaign for the Vail Interfaith Chapel recently had one of those exhilarating moments.
The committee running the chapel’s current $10 million fundraising campaign announced this week that longtime residents Betsy and George Wiegers had given a $1 million gift to the campaign.
“This is huge. This one donation is 10% of our goal,” said Rev. Tim Wilbanks, who is the president of the chapel’s board of directors.
Rev. Carl Walker, a member of the chapel’s fundraising committee, said he was “overwhelmed” by the donation. “Now we’re on our way,” he added.
Chris Dillmann/cdillmann@vaildaily.com
The longest year. The hardest year. Whatever you want to call it, 2020 has been a year unlike any in our lifetimes, and the impacts from a global public health crisis a century in the making will be lasting.
COVID-19 reshaped our world and left us grieving for lives lost, jobs lost and businesses shuttered. Lockdowns and closures of local schools and ski resorts tested our stamina. We kept loved ones at a distance and sacrificed beloved traditions and gatherings for the greater good.
Nearly 350,000 Americans have died from the virus as of this writing. More than 3,400 Eagle County residents have gotten the virus, and 14 have died from it.
Special to the Daily
Sheika Gramshammer and her husband, Pepi, shared the Vail Valley Citizen of the Year honor in 1989.
Special to the Daily
For her dynamic and selfless contributions to the community, Sheika Gramshammer has been named the 2021 Vail Valley Citizen of the Year. The honor has been handed out since 1981 to deserving citizens who have provided broad support, vision, and leadership to the betterment of the community and its many nonprofit organizations.
Gramshammer was a co-recipient of the award with her husband Pepi in 1989, the year that she and her husband helped play an instrumental role in bringing the first of three Alpine World Ski Championships to Vail and Beaver Creek. In 1989, however, Sheika was just getting started. Since then she has provided philanthropic vision and community spirit enough for two lifetimes.