One of the Rotary Club of Crested Butte’s greatest priorities is supporting young people, and this past school year was filled with opportunities to do just that.

We were fortunate to host Mati, an exchange student from Argentina, for the entire school year through Rotary Youth Exchange. Mati quickly became part of our community, and before heading home in June, he joined us to share stories and photos from his travels throughout the American West. His experience highlighted the lasting friendships and cultural connections that the Rotary Youth Exchange program creates.

The Club was also proud to invest in the future of local students through scholarships. This spring, we awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors as they prepare for college and the opportunities ahead. In addition, we presented a $5,000 scholarship to a student who exemplified Rotary’s Four-Way Test of the Things We Think, Say, and Do:

• Is it the Truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Is it beneficial to all concerned?

These principles have guided Rotarians for generations, and it was inspiring to recognize a young person who lives them every day.

Our youth-focused efforts didn’t stop there. The Crested Butte Community School’s Interact Club, sponsored by Rotary, launched a thoughtful service initiative called “Kindness in the Community Drops.” Interact members identified local groups whose hard work often goes unnoticed and took time to thank them. Among these groups were the Mountain Express bus drivers and Ski Patrol. Students delivered handwritten notes and goodie bags filled with cookies, candy, and chocolate to Mountain Express bus drivers and created a thank-you poster and delivered homemade baked goods to the Ski Patrol team at their home base.

From international exchange and scholarships to local acts of gratitude and service, this year’s youth programs demonstrated the positive impact young people can have when given encouragement and support. The CB/Mt CB Rotary Club is proud to help create opportunities for the next generation of leaders, and we look forward to seeing what these remarkable students accomplish in the years ahead.

We couldn’t give away so much funding for the community without our annual fundraiser, the Great Rubber Duckie Race, and you! Race Day is on Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 2 PM, and you get your tickets online at crestedbutterotary.org/duck-race.  Local community and virtual support will help us sell more tickets, race more ducks, and support more community members! 

For the Crested Butte Rotary Club, “Service Above Self” is more than a motto — it’s how we show up for our community. Thanks to your support, we’ve had a meaningful and joy-filled Summer of Service, from investing in students and nonprofits to launching thousands of rubber duckies down Coal Creek.

Investing in Students & Nonprofits

In May, we proudly awarded $44,000 in scholarships and grants to strengthen our community.

• $25,000 in scholarships went to 12 outstanding graduating seniors and one remarkable junior recognized for volunteer leadership.
• $19,000 in community grants supported 10 local nonprofits, including CB Devo, Mountain Heritage Museum, CB Search & Rescue, CBCS Enrichment Program, GCSAPP, the Food Pantry, Mountain Roots, Six Points, Titan Booster Club, and WESA.

A Quacking Good Fundraiser

These contributions are powered by our biggest fundraiser of the year: the Great Rubber Duckie Race. In its 36th year, this cherished tradition brought fun, laughter, and friendly competition to downtown Crested Butte.

Rotarians and volunteers spent the summer preparing 5,000+ ducks and selling tickets at community events. On August 3, thousands of ducks splashed into Coal Creek at First and Sopris, cheered on by locals and visitors alike. Thanks to the Crested Butte Fire Protection District for adding extra water to keep the race lively!

Winners of the Great Duckie Race, the Pink Duck Race, and the Big Duck Race were announced at Totem Pole Park — and together, we raised over $60,000 to reinvest in our community.

Closing Out with Service

We wrapped up the season with our annual Road Clean-Up, a Rotary tradition since the 1990s. Fourteen Rotarians and friends gathered on a sunny morning to tidy up the stretch between Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Huge thanks to the Town of Mt. Crested Butte for partnering with us to collect the bags!

Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe winter is over, especially with the recent snow and lower temps. Rotary Club heard from wonderful organizations and individuals over the past couple of months. Jenny Birnie shared what’s happening with the Gunnison Valley Health Foundation, including the new EMS building in Gunnison and significantly increased fundraising efforts. Kevin Terry and Laurel Fisher joined us from the WCU-CU Engineering School Partnership and enthralled us with examples of student projects, including AR headsets for low-light skiing. We heard from Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Gregg Helvey, who shared about using storytelling and film to make an impact and create change, his experiences filming in India, and his next projects. Gary Keiser from the Mt CB Downtown Development Authority and Mike Fabbre with the Mt CB Water and Sanitation District joined us for two different programs about the goings-on in Mt Crested Butte. JD Crichton, CBMR’s new General Manager, shared updates about the Resort, and Bruce Fauser explained Peak Uplink, a full-service satellite transmission company serving every time zone in the country. Finally, Jeni Blacklock, RMBL’s recently hired Executive Director, discussed the work of this nearly-100-year-old nonprofit, it’s impact on the valley, and it’s future ambitions. It was an informative and interesting two months!

Learn more about the Gunnison Valley Health Foundation here, Peak Uplink here, and CBMR here. You can review Jeni Blacklock’s slide deck about RMBL here. Learn more about the Mt CB Downtown Development Authority here and the Mt CB Water and Sanitation District here. Check out and subscribe to the WCU-CU Partnership monthly newsletter here. View Gregg Helvey’s short film, “Kavi,” here.

With off-season upon and most folks heading out of town over the next couple of months, we’ll have just three meetings in April and May.

First, our very own Luke Ortgessen kicked off the spring season explaining the state of property insurance in Colorado today.

Next we’ll meet up on May 14 for our annual Duck Sorting Party. Be at the Parish Hall (behind Camp 4 Coffee) at 5 pm ready to get our ducks in a row, and remember to bring friends and family for this “all-hands-on-duck” event!

Finally, our inbound RYE students, Shirin and Filip, will join us on May 28 to share about their year in Crested Butte!