Thirty Years, Properly Celebrated: Our 30th Anniversary Gala
In the fall of 1997, Alpine Valley School opened its doors to twelve students and one big idea: that kids deserve respect, and the responsibility to make real decisions about their own lives and education. Thirty years later, students ages 5 to 18 still choose how they spend their days here and help run the school together through School Meeting. That big of a milestone felt worth a serious party.
So on Saturday, September 12th, 2026, about eighty of us put on something fancy and gathered under the evening sky at the Denver home of David and Wendy Wiesner for our 30th Anniversary Gala. Founders, families, alumni, trustees, staff members and friends of the school, some of whom hadn't seen each other in decades, spent the evening doing what this community does best: getting together and telling stories.
What the night was like
Guests arrived at six to name tags, hors d'oeuvres and an open bar, then drifted outside, where the fountains were lit and the cocktail tables filled up fast. Inside, the dining room table had been turned into a thirty-year time capsule: a stack of yearbooks, a box of vintage flyers and newspaper clippings, original drawings from the early days, a poster-sized print from the school's first years of Larry with his father, Don Welshon, a lifelong supporter of the school (and of Larry), and a couple of well-loved vintage AVS sweatshirts. That table was a hub of activity for much of the night.
Across the way sat an old black rotary phone. Pick it up, and the voices of AVS students asked you to leave the school a message. More on that in a minute.
The program
At 7:30, with the sun just setting, everyone gathered at the top of the stairs. Gina Mancuso, an AVS alum and President of our Board of Trustees, welcomed the crowd and introduced the trustees. Larry Welshon told the story of how the school came to be: two public school teachers who wanted something better for their own kids, a few rented rooms in a church, and a community that figured out self-government as it went along. Hannah Weilnau, who chairs our Fundraising Committee, named the goal for the night: $30,000 for 30 years.
And then the Board of Trustees brought out a very large check.
We're happy to report that, between the Board's gift and the generosity of everyone in that backyard, we met our fundraising goal for the event. The following week, a group of students accepted the Board's donation at school, which was a pretty great way to kick off our season of giving.
The guestbook you can listen to
About that phone. Over the course of the night, guests picked it up and recorded messages to the school: first memories, favorite moments, thank-yous, and at least one very happy birthday. We've turned ten of them into short videos, and you can listen to all of them here:
A few of our favorites:
Kristin Luce, whose daughters Amanda and Namaya are former AVS students, remembered their very first visit. Connie Cook, a former staff member, got down low to her youngest and said, "This is your school. You can do what you want here." Amanda took her at her word and skipped straight out to the play structure.
One parent said he knew his son loved it here when a kid who used to sleep until ten "all of a sudden was getting up at seven, eight o'clock in the morning, making himself breakfast" to get ready for school.
Another parent, whose family came to AVS after a hard stretch somewhere else, said the school helped his son understand what it means to be a responsible member of a community. "He is an incredibly responsible kid today."
An alum who started here at age six: "All of my favorite memories and the best relationships of my life have come out of this school."
And one we're keeping as a motto for the rest of the year: "I look forward to the next 30 years."
Thank you
An evening like this takes a lot of people. Thank you to David and Wendy Wiesner for opening their home to us, hosting so graciously, and feeding everyone beautifully. Thank you to our Board of Trustees and the Fundraising Committee for months of planning and for a gift that set the tone for the whole night. Thank you to Trevor Gass of ACT ONE Photography for the photos you see here. And thank you to everyone who came, gave, sent a note, or cheered us on from afar. You are the reason there is a thirtieth anniversary to celebrate at all.
The next thirty years start now
A thirtieth anniversary is a nice excuse for a party. It's also a reminder that a school like ours keeps going for one reason: people show up for it, year after year after year. Back in 2000, when the church lease wasn't renewed, this community raised more than $150,000 in a single year and bought the building on Parfet Street that we still call home. Twenty-six years later, we're asking for the same kind of thing at a smaller scale.
This Colorado Gives Day, we're asking for your help to raise $20,000 for the future of our little school. Your gift supports everything that keeps us going, including tuition assistance that helps more families in the area join our community.
Early giving is open now, and every gift made before December 8 counts toward the day. Give $75 or more and we'll send you our 30th Anniversary photo book, with then-and-now photos of the campus and our graduates (while they last).
If you've been thinking about giving monthly, this is the time to start: Colorado Gives is matching new recurring gifts, up to $100, while the matching funds last. A monthly gift of any size goes a long way for a school our size.
Give at www.alpinevalleyschool.com/donate. Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 8.
Wear the celebration
Our 30th anniversary shirts launch Monday, November 9. Tees ($30), long sleeves ($35) and zip-up hoodies ($50), with the 30th logo on the front and a big one across the back (thanks Ritch!). Every purchase supports Alpine Valley School, and you can add a donation at checkout. Order by Sunday, November 29 to get in on the first batch, and your order will arrive around the second week of December.
Here's to the next thirty
Thirty years ago, two teachers and twelve students took a chance on a radical idea. It's still here because of people like the ones in these photos, and people like you. Celebrating our past, creating our future. Here's to the next thirty.