This year, Cottonwood Institute celebrated our 20th Base Camp Bash fundraising event, thus our theme: Cheers To 20 Years!

On the evening of April 5th, 2025, our Cottonwood community gathered for a night of music, food, fundraising, and festivities at Upper Larimer in RiNo in Denver. As people trickled in they were met with the ambiance of live bluegrass music from That Damn Sasquatch. Immediately our entire community from CI Sponsors, Board Members, students, families, staff, and instructors began mingling before programming began.

Guests settled in their seats decorated with hiking boot bouquets exploding with pink and orange flowers generously provided by Trader Joe’s and meticulously arranged by Bev Church and Jessica Church. Everyone eagerly lined up for delicious breakfast food catered by Snooze, including s’mores pancakes and shrimp grits. Throughout the night guests were treated with beer from Great Divide, cocktails from I&A Agave Spirits and Brown Forman, wine from Trader Joe’s, NA beer from Best Day Brewing.

Chelsea Tossing, our Associate Director, and Jesse Holtsnider, former student turned paid Instructor, were our amazing emcees for the night. We were stunned with a surprise celebrity toast (you had to be there in person to see it) and a warm welcome from Ford Church, our Founder and Executive Director. Ford reflected on the past 20 years, how far we have come, and a bold vision for the future, including a search for a permanent mountain base camp for Cottonwood programs within the next 3 years.

Chelsea and Jesse then introduced CI’s team of CAP Instructors, who each gave powerful speeches celebrating their students and awarding them with the Ripple Effect Award. One student from each CAP class was nominated by their CAP instructor to receive the coveted Ripple Effect Award each year. These incredible students demonstrated outstanding leadership, positive change, and made their class a better place because of their actions. This year’s ripple award winners included: Mekhi Wynn from AXL Academy; Daniel Rivera-Martinez, from Angevine Middle School; Annabelle Gochis, from New Vista High School; and Alexander Javier Esquivel-Barrios from Centaurus High School.

Next, Rob Guthrie honored (and surprised) Mekhi and Daniel with the Lauren Guthrie Legacy Scholarship, which provides funding for 2 Ripple Effect Award winners to attend a week-long Avid4 Adventure Expedition over the summer. As a part of Lauren’s legacy, The Lauren Guthrie Make A Difference Fund has supported getting students outdoors and growing as leaders, carrying on Lauren’s legacy of inspiring youth through Adventure Education.

Following awards, Marissa Walters from Wild Hair Auctions & Events led an energetic live auction and paddle raise that hyped the crowd up for various exciting gear and getaways, including multi night stays in Pebble Beach, CA, Puerto Vallarta, and Whistler, BC.

The Base Camp Bash is the main fundraising event for Cottonwood Institute, raising the critical funding we need to support our students and fully fund our programs. This year’s Base Camp Bash raised over $144,000, helping to fund another amazing year of fishing, hiking, exploring, environmental education, and Action Projects to help make a positive impact in the communities we serve in the Denver Metro Area.

Click here to check out pictures from the 2025 Base Camp Bash: Cheers to 20 Years! And thank you James Neuhalfen for taking such amazing pictures!

If you missed the Bash and still want to help, please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly donor! You’ll help invest in our students, programs, and long-term sustainability and success!

Thank You Sponsors & Supporters:

A huge thank you to all who helped make this evening possible, including the Church Family, Coleman Family, Conway Family, Guthrie Family, Mokrohisky Family, and Skaalerud Family. Please support our sponsors below who help support local environmental education nonprofits like Cottonwood Institute!