By Rachel Rosenthal
The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado has selected the four local nonprofits that will benefit from this summer’s 11th annual 19th Hole Concerts at the Pagosa Springs Golf Club.
Each organization addresses a unique need of the community and will be highlighted at one of the concerts held in June. This year’s recipients are Aspire Medical Services and Education, Pagosa Community Initiative, Upper San Juan Watershed Enhancement Partnership and Wings Early Childhood Center.
The 19th Hole Concerts are community fundraisers that feature local musicians and local nonprofits each Thursday evening in June from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pagosa Springs Golf Club. The cover charge is a $10 donation which supports the four nonprofits.
Corporate sponsors cover event expenses, allowing all proceeds at the end of the series to be pooled and distributed equally to the featured organizations. The collaborative approach to concerts is vital to their success. Last year’s concerts raised $2,500 for each participating organization.
Aspire Medical Services and Education provides prenatal care and education for families with children ages 0-3 in Archuleta County. Funding from the 19th Hole Concerts grant will be used to support its free parent/child education program, which has seen a significant increase in the number of local families seeking support and connection in our rural community.
The Pagosa Community Initiative provides out-of-school programming for youth through trauma-informed practices. Funding from the 19th Hole will support expanding access to scholarships for youth to attend its summer camps, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent children from accessing safe, enriching and therapeutic programming during the summer months.
The Upper San Juan Watershed Enhancement Partnership is dedicated to collaborative on-the-ground watershed restoration in the Upper San Juan River Basin. In October 2025, historic flooding along the San Juan River underscored the river corridor’s vulnerability and the need for long-term watershed resilience and infrastructure protection. Funding will support project planning, partnership coordination and community engagement to advance watershed health and sustainability.
Wings (Archuleta County Education Center) is an early childhood education center serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The center serves up to 75 children and is the only licensed infant care provider within 50 miles of Pagosa Springs. Funding will support Wings in sustaining its infant and toddler programs and services.
“The Archuleta Committee is proud to support local nonprofits through the 19th Hole Concerts grant,” said Marcy Mitchell, current chair of the Archuleta Committee. “Thanks to so many community members attending our concerts each June, we have raised a total of $85,000 for local nonprofits through the concert series.”
As a community facilitator, the Community Foundation works to increase resilience and success for nonprofits while maximizing effective grantmaking for philanthropists to make Southwest Colorado a better place to live.
Concert schedule
• June 4: Wings Early Childhood Center. Bob Hemenger will play Dixieland, jazz, blues, soul and pop.
• June 11: Upper San Juan Watershed Enhancement Partnership. The Jackson Mountain Ramblers will play country, folk and pop.
• June 18: Pagosa Community Initiative. Outlaw Firm will play country, blues, folk-rock and TexAmericana.
• June 25: Aspire Medical Services and Education. Bo DePeña will play Americana and country.
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