Raising Hands and Funds: GOP Event Showcases Student Auctioneers

Anne Boswell Taylor
Oct 12
3 min read

~Anne Boswell

It has been a long time since Prowers County hosted a Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser. According to county chairman Gary Melcher, it's been some time since they have hosted such an evening.

And Saturday night's event didn't disappoint for attendees who enjoyed meeting candidates, a dinner, a keynote speaker and a live auction by students from McClave High School.

Gubernatorial candidates Barbara Kirkmeyer and Jason Mikesell told the crowd they're tired of the direction Colorado has been headed for the last 20 years and intend to change it.

Kirkmeyer spoke of the importance of protecting rural Colorado. Kirkmeyer has represented Colorado as a county commissioner and most recently in the Colorado State Senate.

Mikesell, who is the Teller County Sheriff, recounted the numerous times he had fought for Colorado's second amendment rights at the Capitol. He agreed with Kirkmeyer that rural Colorado must be protected.

United State Congresswoman Lauren Boebert took the mic to say how proud she is to represent rural Colorado and that was good to be home.

Colorado GOP Chairwoman Brita Horn grabbed the mic to inspire the party to reach out and do what you can to affect change. She said it's as easy as making phone calls, and maybe volunteering to do some door knocking.

Republican National Committee Woman Christy Ruckus Fidura announced she felt Pueblo was ripe for some changes and that the Republican party could win back those seats now held by Democrats.

Prowers and Bent County Attorney Rose Pugliese also spoke. Pugliese is the former House Minority Leader in Colorado but stepped down to meet the needs of her children. She is active in both counties where she now represents both Bent and Prowers. Pugliese gave an update of the recent special session in the legislature called for the month of August and explained that the state remains in a deficit of more than a billion dollars.

McClave FFA instructor Lance Jaggers introduced his team of student auctioneers and of course, bragged on them, just a bit. When the students started the bidding on pies, and other items, the bidding became lively and competitive with pies selling from $60 to $200. The students were good, if you closed your eyes you might imagine you are at the livestock sale barn listening to the big guys auction.

Keynote speaker Laura Carno took the mic after the auction to thank those who stayed to listen to what she had to say. Carno is an author of the book, Government Ruins Nearly Everything and she is also founder of FASTER Colorado, which stands for Faculty/ Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response. The organization, which started in 2017, supports and trains teachers, staff and administrators in schools to be armed through firearm and emergency response training. It is intense training and the same training, skills and tactics as used by law enforcement.

She asked the audience to imagine what it would look like if we never turned on the news again to see another school shooting.

Carno said they're proud to be working with numerous schools in Colorado although they don't name them by name for security reasons.

At the end of the night, it was reported the Lincoln Day Dinner auction raised more than $4,000. Hugs were exchanged among friends and goodbyes were said.

(Please check out the links in the story above for more information. The Lincoln Day Dinner was a fundraiser for the Prowers County Republican Party)

#fastercolorado #cologop, #barbarakirkmeyer, #jasonmikesell, #victormarx, #laurenboebert, #kevingrantham