Base Camp Bash

The Cottonwood Institute is proud to host our 4th Annual Base Camp Bash Fundraising Event on Friday, April 17, 2009 from 7 - 10pm at the Wynkoop Brewing Company in Lower Downtown Denver and we would like to invite you to participate in this wonderful community event! Tickets are limited to the first 150 people, so buy your tickets today!

The Base Camp Bash is our annual fundraising event to raise money to help underwrite the Community Adventure Program at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area and to help raise money for our Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund for students to attend our 2009 Summer Courses.

2009 Base Camp Bash Slide Show: Click Here.

UPDATE: Wynkoop will feature an Earth Day Ale during the Month of April and a percentage of each pint sale will be donated to the Cottonwood Institute to help support our educational programs and to support our scholarship fund! Thank you Wynkoop!

WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE EVENT?

• We are excited to have Robbie Knight, 99.5FM The Mountain radio personality and host of the Green Report, who will Emcee the event.
• As guests arrive, we will provide appetizers, a cash bar, and live acoustic entertainment. Each person attending will receive a raffle ticket to win items ranging from outdoor gear to restaurant gift certificates to event tickets that will be given away throughout the evening.
• Each guest will also receive a reusable shopping bag they can use to help reduce their environmental footprint, thanks to a generous donation from REI.
• We will host a silent auction and have some fabulous items donated including trips, outdoor gear, concert and event tickets, restaurant gift certificates, and much more!
• We will show a slide show or short movie and have promotional materials to educate our guests about the Cottonwood Institute, our educational programs, what we are up to in the world, and what we have accomplished.
• We will present an Environmental Stewardship Award to recognize the class that put together the best “Action Project” in 2008 to address a local environmental issue.
• Tommy Shreve will play live acoustic blues and folk music throughout the event. Tommy has played dozens of concerts with Jimmy Buffett, two appearances on NBC’s Tonight Show, and decades of live music performance.

TICKETS:

Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door and can be purchased directly through the Cottonwood Institute. Your ticket will grant you entrance to our silent auction, live music, free appetizers, fabulous giveaway prizes, a cash bar, and a reusable shopping bag from REI! To purchase a ticket, please click the Donate Now button below. In the message area, please write Base Camp Bash and share your information with us so we can add you to the guest list.

If you prefer to buy tickets by mail, please send a check made payable to Cottonwood Institute to: PO Box 7067, Denver, CO 80207 or call 303.447.1076. Once we receive your payment, you will be added to our guest list and this will be considered your RSVP. To walk our talk in terms of environmental sustainability, we will not issue paper tickets.

SILENT AUCTION PRE-BIDDING:

If you cannot attend the Base Camp Bash in person, but you would like to pre-bid on one of the following silent auction items, please contact Ford Church at 303.447.1076 or Click Here to email your bid. Pre-bids must be submitted by 5pm on Thursday, April 16, 2009. Pre-bids will start the bidding at the silent auction at the Base Camp Bash on Friday, April 17, 2009, so if you really want something bid high! Here is our list of fabulous items:

VACATION PACKAGES:

• Seattle Vacation: Venture out to the Pacific Northwest with 5 night stay at a private condo in Seattle, Washington. This 2 bedroom house will provide a great escape and is walking distance from shopping and cultural sites. Please Note: Airfare is not included, blackout dates may apply. Value: $2,000. Minimum Bid: $500
• Colorado Mountain Getaway: Are you in need a peaceful and relaxing weekend mountain getaway? Enjoy a 2 night stay at the incredible Ritz Carlton: Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Please Note: Airfare is not included, blackout dates may apply. Value: $1,300. Minimum Bid: $400
• New Orleans Vacation: Come celebrate the culture and heritage of one of America’s most fabulous cities. Enjoy a 2 night stay at the luxurious Hotel Monteleone in the heart of the French Quarter. This package also includes restaurant gift certificates to Arnaud’s and the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group. Local New Orleans residents will take you on a personal tour of the city, will take you to lunch, and will take you on an insider shopping spree to all of their favorite shops with shopping gift certificates included along the way. If you want to roll up your sleeves and help rebuild New Orleans, we can also help organize an optional Habitat For Humanity project. Please Note: Airfare is not included, blackout dates may apply. Value: $1,200. Minimum Bid: $375
• California Wine Tasting Vacation: If you have been looking for an excuse to tour California’s wine country, then it is time to make it happen. Enjoy a 3 night stay at a private cottage at Swanson Vineyard in Napa Valley, California. Enjoy a winery tour, free wine tasting, and a free bottle of delectable Swanson Vineyard wine. Please Note: Airfare is not included, blackout dates may apply. Value: $1,000. Minimum Bid: $300
• Cottonwood Institute Survival Workshop: Do you have what it takes to survive? The Cottonwood Institute is donating 1 space on our upcoming 1-day Survival Workshops. Please note: Transportation is not included. Value: $100. Minimum Bid: $25

OUTDOOR/SPORTS ITEMS:

• Mountain Hardware has generously donated a 3-season Hammerhead 2 tent! Value: $255. Minimum Bid: $75.
• SPOT Satellite Messenger from Engineered Travel, LLC and GEOS. Please note: $99 activation fee not included. Value: $200. Minimum Bid: $50.
• Official 2009 NFL Pro Bowl Hat signed by Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. Value: Priceless. Minimum Bid: $30.
• Russell Cutts with Wyldecraft has donated a handcrafted Paleokit. Think survival kit from the Stone-Age. This one of a kind primitive survival kit contains everything you need to start friction fires and flint fires and includes a copy of Russell’s book called Wildfire Fire Making Art: A Paleoarchaeologist’s Perspective on Primitive Friction-Fires and the Development of Human Culture. Value: $65. Minimum Bid: $25
• Ski/snowboard tune ups from Thrifty Stick Board Shop, in Denver, CO. Value: $20. Minimum Bid: $5.
• Primitive Survival Kit from Russell Cutts at Wyldecraft. Value: $65. Minimum Bid: $25.
• Climbing passes to the Boulder Rock Club in Boulder, CO. Value: $35. Minimum Bid: $10.
• Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit. Value: $75. Minimum Bid: $25.
• Cottonwood Institute Vest. Value: $50. Minimum Bid: $20.
• Cottonwood Institute T-Shirt. Value: $25. Minimum Bid: $10.
• Cottonwood Institute Survival Knife. Value: $25. Minimum Bid: $10.

MUSIC AND EVENTS:

• 99.5 FM The Mountain has generously donated two tickets to see The Dead at the Pepsi Center on May 7th, 2009. Value: $200. Minimum Bid: $50.
• 2 Full Festival Passes to the 2009 Boulder Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado. Value: $150. Minimum Bid: $50.
• AEG donated 2 tickets to an upcoming show at the Bluebird Theater or the Ogden Theater in Denver from April 2008 - April 2009. Value: $50. Minimum Bid: $15.
• etown is a weekly radio show filmed in front of a live studio audience that features live music and conversations about the world around us. Etown has generously donated 2 tickets to an upcoming performance at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado. Value: $30. Minimum Bid: $10.
• We have 2 great tickets to an upcoming Colorado Rockies home game at Coors Field. Tickets are for Sunday, July 26th, 2009 at 1PM vs the Giants. The seats are located in Sec 125, Row 14 and have a phenomenal view of the action. Value $70. Minimum Bid: $20.
• The Colorado Shakespeare Festival has generously donated 2 tickets for the Festival’s 2009 season. Value: $76. Minimum Bid: $25.

RESTAURANTS, FOOD, AND BEVERAGES:

• An anonymous donor has donated a case of red wine from their private collection. Value: $TBA.
• A private wine tasting for 6 - 8 people at Above the Rim Wine Shop in Denver, Colorado. Value: $150. Minimum Bid: $50.
• The Kitchen in Boulder, CO is donating dinner for two and wine for their Community Night. Value: $106. Minimum Bid: $30.
• Restaurant gift certificate to Tables in Denver, Colorado. Value: $75. Minimum Bid: $25.
• Mountain Sun Gift Package For Him: $50 gift certificate for their delicious brew and food good at all Boulder/Denver locations and a Mountain Sun Men’s T-shirt. Value: $65. Minimum Bid: $20.
• Mountain Sun Gift Package For Her: $50 gift certificate for their delicious brew and food good at all Boulder/Denver locations and a Mountain Sun Women’s T-Shirt. Value: $65. Minimum Bid: $20.
• Hapa Sushi in Boulder and Denver, CO donated a gift card for their amazing sushi. Value: $50. Minimum Bid: $15.
• The Cherry Tomato in Denver, CO donated a gift card to their delicious Italian Restaurant. Value: $50. Minimum Bid: $15.
• A gift certificate to Cake Crumbs the best bakery in Denver, Colorado. Value: $50. Minimum Bid: $15.
• Vita has donated a gift card that can be used at Vita in Denver, Colorado or Blue River Bistro in Breckenridge, Colorado. Check out Vita’s 1/2 off bottle of wine night on Tuesdays! Value: $25. Minimum Bid: $5.
• Oblio’s Pizzeria in Park Hill donated a gift certificate for their world famous pizza. Value: $25. Minimum Bid: $5.
• Artisan Brewed at Home: two 12 oz bags of coffee and 1 Artisan press from in Denver, Colorado. Value: $60.
• Fluid Coffee Bar in Denver, Colorado has put together a Fluid Sustainability gift basket for coffee-lovers, which includes a French Press, a bag of whole bean Novo Coffee, and a reusable travel mug so you can reduce your environmental footprint. Value: $75. Minimum Bid: $25.
• Snooze, which happens to be one of the best breakfast joints in Denver, has donated a $50 gift certificate for breakfast for four and a fashionable Snooze t-shirt and baseball hat. You have to try their upside down pineapple pancake! Value: $85. Minimum Bid: $25.
• Chipotle has donated a gift certificate for burritos for 4 as well as free burrito cards for our giveaway table! Value: $100. Minimum Bid: $30.

ART, JEWELRY, CLOTHING, AND ACCESSORIES:

• Outdoor photograph from Sergio Photography in Boulder, Colorado. Value: $250. Minimum Bid $50.
• Large “Be Nice or Leave” signs and folk art from Dr. Bob in New Orleans, Louisiana. Value: $75. Minimum Bid: $25.
• Small “Be Nice or Leave” signs and folk art from Dr. Bob in New Orleans, Louisiana. Value: $25. Minimum Bid: $10.
• Hand blown wine glasses by Terri Walker in New Orleans, Louisiana. Value: $360. Minimum Bid: $50.
• A beautiful Handmade Quilt from Pam Ross. The quilt is queen/king sized and has been machine-pieced and quilted. Value: $300. Minimum Bid: $50.
• The Blues Jean Bar is donating a private shopping experience for up to 30 people at their Cherry Creek store. Get ready for drinks, denim, and discounts! Value: Up to $300. Minimum Bid: $50.
• Handmade jewelry from Kerry Conway. Value: $60. Minimum Bid: $20.
• Linda Bjork donated a Baby Girl Gift Package, a perfect gift for the next baby show you have to attend. Includes a hat, wash cloth, 2 bunny purses, a hand stitched pillow case, and an activity puzzle mat. Value: $100. Minimum Bid: $20.
• Linda Bjork donated a Baby Boy Gift Package, also a perfect gift for the next baby shower you have to attend. Includes 2 hats, one shirt and pant outfit, an activity puzzle mat, and a block stacker to keep kids entertained. Value. $75. Minimum Bid: $15.
• Linda Bjork also donated a Kids Activity To-Go Basket, which is great if you have kids, if you are a grandparent, or if you need to entertain visitors with kids. This basket includes, 2 Art Supply Brief Cases, 2 colored pencil sets, magic markers, sketch pads, writing tablets, books, games, and more! Value: $200. Minimum Bid: $50.

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES:

• A free Infrared Home Energy Audit from Xcel Energy. Value. $120. Minimum Bid: $40.
• 4 hours of Energy Efficiency Improvements from Eco Handyman. Value: TBA.

OTHER FABULOUS ITEMS:

• Gift certificate to Pishna Photos, professional photographer for outdoor photography, Xtreme sports, family photos, weddings, senior pictures, and more! Value: $150. Minimum Bid: $50.
• Pampered Pooch Package, including: doggie bed, bowl and place mat, collar, leash, 2 books, tons of toys and much, much more! This is the perfect “starter kit” if you are planning to get a new dog or a great way to spoil your pooch. Value: $200. Minimum Bid: $50.
• One hour massage therapy session from Deborah Currier, CMT. Value: $55. Minimum Bid: $20.
• Adopt 10 Beanie Baby puppies. Perfect for parents or educators! Value:$60. Minimum Bid: $10.

GIVEAWAY ITEMS:

When you buy a ticket for the event, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of the following fabulous give away items. You must be present to win!

• 2 Full Festival Passes to the 2009 Boulder Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado.
• Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit.
• Cottonwood Institute Vest.
• Cottonwood Institute T-shirt.
• Cottonwood Institute Survival Knife.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD PANEL:

I wanted to give a special thanks to our 2009 Environmental Stewardship Award Panel Members for contributing this year:

• Michael Barney: Community Outreach Fellow Greenprint Denver
• Ghita Carroll: Boulder Valley School District Sustainability Coordinator
• Nate Drinkwine: Green Architect for SLATERPAULL Architects
• Marci Fulton: Lawyer for Patton Boggs, LLP
• Toya Nelson: Governor’s Commission on Community Service
• Amanda Portman: LEED Accredited Professional for SLATERPAULL Architects
• Patricia Provencher: Environmental Protection Agency

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY:

We chose the Wynkoop Brewing Company because they are walking their talk in terms of environmental sustainability and are a zero waste restaurant, meaning they try to recycle and compost a majority of their waste. To walk our talk in terms of environmental sustainability, the 2009 Base Camp Bash will be a Zero Waste event! We will also use the event as an opportunity to inspire attendees to reduce their environmental footprint. In addition, the Green Heart Institute, based in Boulder, Colorado is donating wind credits to help offset our energy use the night of the event.