On a sunny Saturday, July 22nd, crowds gathered downtown at McGregor Square to take part in one of Cottonwood Institute’s biggest annual fundraisers, the Throwdown. Each year, friends and coworkers show off their cornhole skills, win epic prizes, and provide support to the Cottonwood’s environmental education programs.

 

Sixteen generous companies and organizations sent teams to the Square, bringing their A-game and sinking bag after bag to a chorus of oohs and ahhs. Delicious food was provided by Anthony’s Pizza and we had drinks from Coors.

 

Alongside the flying bags, bidders competed in a silent auction with a range of prizes from a 6-night stay in Breckenridge to a signed photo of Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray. Passerbys joined in on the fun at our side game table featuring its own prizes like stickers and fishing gear.

 

 

At the end of the day, the cornhole victory belonged to Team Voxpopme. Congratulations, champs! But the real winners are the students who get to join in on CI’s upcoming programs. We are happy to report that this year’s benefit raised almost $30,000!

 

This funding is critical for advancing our mission at Cottonwood, which is to engage middle and high school students in fun, meaningful outdoor experiences. These experiences broaden their horizons on the natural world, instill values for its protection, and prompt them to solve environmental issues one step at a time. Check out reports from some recent programs here to see what these efforts are all about.

 

We couldn’t be more grateful to those who made the 2023 Throwdown possible— including the volunteers, vendors, donors, and everyone else involved. Here’s to another one in the (bean) bag. See you all next year!