In a time where we can't be with people in person, Aspen Public Radio would like to thank our listeners and donors for making our reporting and our community connection possible this year.
In 2020, thanks to your support, we provided critical information relating to COVID-19, the Grizzly Creek Fire, election 2020 coverage, new Spanish-language translation of stories, and support for our community.
Community causes and engagement
- We hosted five “Tell Me More Tour” events where we met and engaged with locals to learn more about the news issues that are of interest to our community
- Collaborated with Alpine Bank to provide 250 pairs of socks to Aspen Homeless Shelter
- Partnered with Clark's Market to donate 100 emergency food bags to LIFT-UP
- Helped donate 4,000 meals to Food Bank of the Rockies on the Western Slope
- Purchased gift cards to support eight local restaurants when COVID-19 forced restaurant closures
Credit Alex Hager / Aspen Public RadioAspen Public Radio continues to provide the latest news and updates regarding the coronavirus, COVID-19, in the valley and Colorado. - Worked with public health officials at Pitkin County to provide COVID-19 announcements at no charge
- Highlighted local business Aspen Custom Vans to give away a four-night sprinter van rental package as part of our fall membership drive
- Brainstormed with a local artist at the Red Brick Center for the Arts on a design concept for an Aspen Public Radio sticker
- Continued to provide on-air announcements about businesses, non-profit events, and valley-wide services for more than 130 locally owned organizations
Reporting
- We hired an experienced, trained, award-winning public radio professional news director with 16 years of experience to increase our quality and service
- Broke the story about the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Pitkin County
- Covered COVID-19 and provided resources on our website to answer questions about testing availability and statewide mandates, and we continue to do so as cases increase
- Aired our local series, “Anything But Normal,” which addressed how small business owners across the valley had been handling COVID-19 closures and reopening
- Shared stories about racial inequity and injustice and featured local organization, Roaring Fork Show Up, as well as interviews with community leaders
Credit Alex Hager / Aspen Public RadioSajari Simmons is encouraging people to think about how they might address racism beyond protesting. "This is not just it. This is just one component,” she said. "There's a lot more that we can do to help impact and educate and support." - Reported on how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected our valley's Latinx community and spoke with MANAUS, Voces Unidas de las Montañas, and more
- Provided hourly and daily coverage on the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Canyon and continued reporting even after evacuation orders were lifted
- Wrote stories on how the pandemic affected international workers across the valley and with one of the valley's largest employers, Aspen Skiing Company
- Featured a special “Fire + Water” series, along with continued reporting from the Mountain West News Bureau, to discuss environmental, water, and wildfire issues that are top of mind to individuals living on the Western Slope
- Created a pre-election series, "What Can I Expect From My Government?" to address questions about local and statewide election issues
- Went live on election night to provide updates three times an hour on local, regional, and state races
- Embarked upon online Spanish-language translation of stories and worked with local Spanish-language radio station, Radio LaTricolor, to serve our valley’s Latinx population
- Continued to provide daily, local morning and afternoon newscasts during Morning Edition and All Things Considered
Projects and programming
- We joined Aspen Historical Society on our "Quarantine Stories" project to edit and archive community experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic
Credit Margaret Wilson Reckling
- Carried official updates/live press conferences from Governor Jared Polis and Pitkin County Incident Management team COVID-19 update meetings live
- Unveiled our local youth-produced podcast, Gen Z Tea
- Produced several stories from “Rocky Mountain Why?,” our community-driven news project
- Partnered with the Aspen Music Festival and School to feature a virtual evening concert series, in addition to our summer-long weekday classical music programming with host Chris Mohr
- Hosted a free virtual event featuring NPR's Scott Simon reading from his book, Sunnyside Plaza, with Challenge Aspen
Credit Lauri Jackson / Aspen Public RadioAspen Public Radio is going to spend winter 2020-2021 talking about mental health. - Broadcasted English in Action’s Immigrant Voices storytelling event
- Received a grant to give 20 senior citizens in two local assisted living facilities an Echo Dot to connect with news, music, and more
- Started sharing our mental health project to address locals' concerns about mental health issues that have been exacerbated during the pandemic
Please support critical information and intelligent perspectives that add to the fabric of our community. We look forward to continuing our service to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2021. Give to Aspen Public Radio at any level and become a member today. Thank you.
