VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

The Telluride Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of someone who has unselfishly contributed to our regional community through volunteerism, community service or philanthropy. The recipient is nominated though an open community process and selected by Telluride Foundation.

At an annual community celebration, the recipient(s) is awarded a grant of $5,000 to be given in their name to the local nonprofit of their choice as well as a commemorative plaque.

To nominate a community member for the Telluride Foundations’ 2024 Volunteer of the Year click HERE. Nominations form are due September 16th, 2024

David Sussman Photo_Resiized

After thoughtfully reviewing a record number of nominations, it is with gratitude and admiration that The Telluride Foundation announces David Sussman (better-known by his friends as ‘Suss’) as the 2023 Volunteer of the Year. The Foundation is honored to recognize David for his nearly decade-long, dedicated volunteerism with the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program (TASP), where David currently serves as the board president.

Having been diagnosed at the age of 12 with Transverse Myelitis, a viral infection that left him paraplegic, David has devoted himself to leading by example, living an adventure-filled, meaningful life, and demonstrating that everyone has unique abilities that are worth celebrating. He has directly influenced hundreds of youths through his work with the ‘Enabling All’ program, an annual program for 5th graders in the region that teaches disability etiquette and awareness.

Our 2023 winner shares this honor with Terry Tice (2003), Lissa Margetts (2004), John Micetic (2005), Bill Carstens (2006), John Pryor and Jane Hickcox (2007), Kathy Green (2008), Marilyn Branch (2009), Dan and Greer Garner and Andrea Benda (2010) and Billy “Senior” Mahoney (2011), Anne Brady (2012), Dean Rolley (2013), Kristin Holbrook (2014), Gary Freedman (2015), Elaine Fischer (2016), Wendy Brooks (2017), Susan Rice (2018), Barb Gross (2019), and San Miguel County Search and Rescue (2020) and the Ouray County Good Neighbor Fund Founders:  Cat & Barthold Lichtenbelt and Marti & Partick O’Leary (2020), Corinne Cavender, Lollie Lavercombe, Cara Wilder (2021) and Claudia Garcia Curzio, Julia Millan Avila, and Andres Jacinto Alonzo (2022)

To view the Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year Nomination form, click HERE.