By Don Koveleski, president
The Exchange Club of Falcon’s giving tree program, Exchange of Joy, was a tremendous success this year. The club collected more than $10,700 in gift cards and more than 710 toys from several locations across El Paso County, including Falcon Walmart, The State Bank, Farmers State Bank, Antler Creek Golf Course, the Falcon High Prairie Library, American Insurance Exchange, MITRE Corp. and Chapel Hills Mall.
For the second year in a row, Rector Stuzynski Law Firm cleared all the tags from Antler Creek Golf Course and fulfilled them. The firm donated $1,350 and 35 toys, significantly boosting the overall donation total. The State Bank and Falcon Walmart were among the top contributors of toys and gift cards this year.
The Exchange Club extends its thanks to all participating organizations, staff members and customers for their generosity, making this one of the most successful years to date.
The club is grateful to the community for enabling these donations to benefit partnering foster care agencies Hope & Home and Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, as well as children in the Calhan School District RJ-1.
The Exchange Club of Falcon also donated to the El Paso County Colorado State University Extension 4-H program. The donation supports four area students who will compete in the National Family and Consumer Sciences Quiz Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 14–16.
The quiz bowl is a fast-paced, buzzer-based academic competition that tests preselected subject areas for 4-H youth. The team consists of four 4-H members ages 14 to 18 representing Colorado’s 4-H program from El Paso County. The students qualified by competing in the state championship held this past summer at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
The donation will help offset travel and lodging expenses for the competition. Two of the four students competing are from Falcon.
4-H kids: Participants and supporters of the quiz bowl include, from left, Jonathan Vrabec, CSU Extension El Paso County director; Ilina Tam and Lily Tam, two students from Falcon competing in the quiz bowl; and Don Koveleski, president of the Exchange Club.
