The edge of the stage was featured thematic decor in the form of track shoes.
Nate Solder, BV alumnus and former NFL offensive tackle, was the evening’s featuered speaker.
The BVHS Cross Country Team asks a nearby table of long-time residents for a little help in the first trivia round.
Mallory Brooks thanked attendees for their generosity and support of the Finish Line Project.
In between rounds, the Cross Country Team brought silent auction items to their winners.
Attendees scope out the silent auction table.
In between rounds, the Cross Country Team brought silent auction items to their winners.
A table flags down the silent auction item runners to celebrate their bidding victory.
The edge of the stage was featured thematic decor in the form of track shoes.
Nate Solder, BV alumnus and former NFL offensive tackle, was the evening’s featuered speaker.
The BVHS Cross Country Team asks a nearby table of long-time residents for a little help in the first trivia round.
Mallory Brooks thanked attendees for their generosity and support of the Finish Line Project.
In between rounds, the Cross Country Team brought silent auction items to their winners.
Attendees scope out the silent auction table.
In between rounds, the Cross Country Team brought silent auction items to their winners.
A table flags down the silent auction item runners to celebrate their bidding victory.
Buena Vista Schools’ second annual BV Schools Proud Trivia Night brought locals together in support of the Finish Line to complete renovations on the high school track and scholarships for local students.
BV Schools Proud Night organizer and BV School Board member Mallory Brooks said the goal was $25,000.
“My best guess is that we easily hit that,” she said. As donations continue to come in, she estimates they won’t know the final total for a few more days.
Sharon Smith of Moonlighter Mobile Entertainment kept the crowd entertained with Buena Vista and BV Schools trivia, as well as questions with song titles and artists for extra points. Eddyline Brewery, High Peaks Liquor and The Old Cider Company supplied the beer, wine and cider. Eddyline also provided pulled pork sliders alongside Sorelle Delicatessen salads and cookies from Joyful Bakery.
The silent auction featured donations from local businesses and community members, including rafting trips, electric bikes, clothing and accessories, books by local authors signed baseballs, as well as autographed New England Patriots and New York Giants jerseys. The estimated value of auction items totaled $5681. The evening’s trivia rounds were sponsored by V3 Custom Homes, 3 Rocks Engineering and Full Circle Realty.
This year, the event was held in the newly renovated McGinnis Gym, located next to Avery-Parsons Elementary School, which reopened in October 2024.
“Having the event in the McGinnis Gym was so cool. What a beautiful space that our district was able to preserve!” Brooks said. “This is always a fun event. You can’t go wrong when you get a ton of good people, delicious food, a great speaker and a little trivia.”
After last year’s event, the district was able to give scholarships to several students, now alumni, who shared their experiences in videos played for attendees.
“Last year’s event raised about $30,000,” said athletic director Scott Crites. “As you saw earlier, about $5000 in scholarships for our students. The remaining part of that money will go towards … a new track at our high school and middle school.
“The overall cost is approximately … $2 million. We’re completely aware that no one in this room would be alive to see the completion of this project by just doing this event,” he said, highlighting that the effort will take persistence, “whether that is through grants, partnerships or whatever other things we can find. We just want to make sure that we’re trying to do our part.”
The current BVHS track is “unusable for many different reasons,” Crites said. The surface needs to be pressed with a roller to have a running surface, and the area also has drainage issues. The track team currently travels to Salida several times a season just to be able to practice on an appropriate surface. The improved track would also give teams a consistent surface to compete on year-round.
The event also featured notable alumnus Nate Solder, who graduated from BVHS and went on to play football at CU Boulder before joining the NFL with the New England Patriots (2011-17) and the New York Giants (2018-21) as an offensive tackle.
Solder spoke about his experience in Buena Vista and how BV schools gave him a new community.
“I came from a place where I felt like I was alienated, cast off, I had a bad reputation,” he said. “I came here and they knew I was trouble, but they (parents and teachers) still loved me. … It was never just about sports. It was about that sense of belonging.”
Solder came to BV Schools in fifth grade, where he got involved in basketball and wrestling.
“Doug Bennetts. … I felt so loved and appreciated by him,” he said. “We had nothing to offer him, and he poured his time and energy to teach these nobody kids how to do … all these techniques for wrestling. He was teaching us this stuff. I loved it and I loved the fact that I belonged.
“I come from Northern Virginia,” he said. “You have fifth-grade kids already in all these leagues, all these clubs, and these cost a fortune, thousands of dollars. … But if you think about it, it’s all about ‘me, me, me, me.’ So I encourage all of you guys, if you’ve been part of this for a long time or if you’re new, just to be involved with things that are going on. That’s what Doug was showing us.
“So I just ask you guys tonight: give,” he said, “so you can invest in the community. Because there are people like Matt Flavin, Drawbridge, Crites, all of you guys that are dedicating their lives to these kids. It’s not about the sport, it’s about building a community.”
Those interested in contributing to ongoing fundraising can donate to the Finish Line Fund through the Denver Foundation’s platform at bit.ly/3XqqfD8
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