Engaging Loveland celebrates community

LOVELAND – Engaging Loveland’s interest and support is at the top of Kim Vecchio’s list. It is not only her focus but, in fact, the name of the new nonprofit organization for which she serves as executive director.

Created in June through a partnership between the city of Loveland, the Downtown Loveland Association, Larimer County Fair Board, The Ranch and the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, Engaging Loveland Inc.’s mission revolves around enhancing and supporting the development of community-wide events and celebrations and boosting tourism and attendance at those events.

“It’s currently in a forming stage,” Vecchio said. “But we do know that, in 2007, we want to do at least two community-wide events and then two supplemental ones that tag onto an existing event.”

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One of those supplemental events will be an expansion of the pancake breakfast held last year by Loveland’s Veterans Club for the Thunder in the Rockies motorcycle rally.  “We want to grow that,” she said, adding that the other events will be determined at an upcoming board retreat.  

Engaging Loveland already has an event in the works for Saturday, Feb. 17.  Through a partnership with the Colorado Balloon Club and The Ranch, the Loveland Sweetheart Balloon Rally will launch 15 to 20 hot air balloons and then culminate in a tailgate party.  “The hope,” Vecchio said, “is to expand to a two-day event and include all of Loveland. We could have balloons launched all over town and also have other events.”

Downtown Loveland is also on the radar for this next year, as well as possible partnering with the Promenade Shops at Centerra in a shuttle system that might, for example, take riders back and forth to downtown.  It’s all about creating a network and collaboration, Vecchio said.

“The idea is to pool our resources, and all market all of these things together.  Right now, there’s a lot of autonomy and we hope to pull it all together.”

Vecchio is also setting up a campaign for cornerstone partners that would contribute to the financial stability of the organization, with a contribution of $5,000 each.