SECORHT Awarded Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative Award

Members of Canyons & Plains are pictured with Governor John Hickenlooper after receiving the Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative Award at the Governor’s Colorado Tourism Conference in Loveland. Pictured from left to right are Judy Walden, Kelli Hepler, Jeanne Fenter, Governor Hickenlooper, Pamela Denahy and Laneha Everett.

Canyons & Plains Receives Tourism Award at Governor’s Tourism Conference

Lamar, Co. – October 5, 2011 – In seven movie theaters in Southeast Colorado, in the minutes following the previews and just before the feature movie begins, theater goers see a public service announcement (PSA) featuring a historic site within Southeast Colorado. The PSAs are part of a multi-year program by Canyons & Plains of Southeast Colorado Regional Heritage Task Force (Canyons & Plains) to attract new visitors to the Canyons and Plains of Southeast Colorado.

And last month, Canyons & Plains was awarded the Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative Award, in recognition of the PSAs, at the Governor’s Colorado Tourism Conference in Loveland.

The six two-minute PSAs highlight Camp Amache National Historic Landmark, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, Boggsville National Historic District, Comanche National Grassland and Historic Theaters in Southeast Colorado. Additionally, the project produced a 10-minute video overview which ties together the six PSAs to tell one cohesive story of the region.

Through the PSAs, Canyons & Plains provides information about heritage sites in the region to a captive audience that may not otherwise visit these travel destinations but are both essential to the development of preservation and stewardship ethics throughout this broad region.

Canyons & Plains is a six-county organization located in Southeast Colorado representing the counties of Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers. The mission of Canyons & Plains is to provide education and assistance to the public on the unique historical and cultural assets of Southeast Colorado through education, collaboration and support across the region.

Copies of the PSAs are available for both viewing and distribution. For additional information, contact Local Board Members, Mary Root, at 719-336-8988 or Pat Palmer, 719-931-4323.

Also, visit www.secoloradoheritage.com for additional information on Southeastern Colorado.

News Release