Colorado University Athletics
2009-10 ?Winning Attitude? Grand Prize Awarded
DENVER - Qwest, FSN Rocky Mountain and the University of Colorado have named Louisville Middle School (Louisville, Colo.) eighth grader Dana Bakke as the 2009-10 grand prize recipient of the Winning Attitude award. She was selected from a group of 10 finalists who submitted stories explaining how their GÇ£Winning AttitudeGÇ¥ made a difference in their communities.
As the grand prize winner, Louisville Middle School will host a school-wide pep rally Monday, April 12 at 2 p.m. MT featuring Colorado menGÇÖs basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik, CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn, two CU student-athletes and performances by the CU cheerleaders and the CU band. Amy Turner, Director of Marketing, Client Development and Communications for FSN Rocky Mountain, Qwest Director of Sponsorship Andrea Zediker and Crystal Adams, Qwest Manager of Community Relations also will be in attendance to honor Bakke. The rally will be emceed by FSN Rocky MountainGÇÖs Drew Goodman. Louisville Middle School will receive a $2,500 contribution from Qwest, in addition to the $1,000 that Qwest presented to the school when Bakke became a finalist.
Bakke showed her Winning Attitude by joining the Eldora Special Recreation Program as a volunteer ski instructor for physically and mentally challenged individuals. Bakke realized that she not only taught her students how to ski but that she has also taught them how to gain confidence and higher self-esteem. She has been told by parents that because of her passion and dedication their children that have developd a more positive attitude towards learning. BakkeGÇÖs enthusiasm has reached family and friends that have now decided to join the program and she canGÇÖt wait to return to help again next winter. Bakke and her classmates were honored as a finalist during halftime of the Colorado vs. Wyoming football game on Saturday, September 19.
This is the fourth year Qwest, FSN and CU have come together to honor middle school students around Colorado for the differences they make in their communities by providing outstanding efforts in sportsmanship, community involvement and teamwork. Ten winning entrants and their classmates earned a trip to either a CU home football game at Folsom Field or a menGÇÖs basketball home game at Coors Events Center and a $1,000 contribution for their school from Qwest.
The 2009-10 GÇ£Winning AttitudeGÇ¥ finalists were Bakke, Casey Nichols (Evergreen Middle School; Evergreen), Chelsey Roosa (Sierra Middle School; Parker), Lizzy Demaske (Windsor Middle School; Windsor), Ashley Lubahn (Overland Trail Middle School; Brighton), Nathan Lucas (Challenger Middle School; Colorado Springs), Helen Grenillo-Weaver (Creighton Middle School; Lakewood), Lindsey Haligas (Drake Middle School; Arvada), Penmai Chongtoua (Sagewood Middle School; Parker) and Shelby Schicke (Fremont Middle School; Florence).
- Colorado -