Viva Lyons: Govenor Spoke, bluegrass played during flood remembrance event

Courtesy photo

Mary Chapin Carpenter and Gov. John Hickenlooper harmonize with Jeremy Garret of The Infamous Stringdusters at VIVA LYONS on Sept. 13, 2014

Presented by Oskar Blues Brewery of Lyons and featuring a special performance by Grammy-nominated bluegrass-rock band The Infamous Stringdusters, the inaugural VIVA LYONS was an event of remembrance, marking the one-year anniversary of the devastating floods that caused severe damage throughout Colorado’s Front Range. The Sept. 13 celebration, saluting the resilience and rebuilding efforts of hard-hit towns like Lyons, took place in Lyons’ Bohn Park.

Gov. John Hickenlooper declared Sept. 13 a statewide day of service to support the many communities still recovering from the widespread flooding that took place in September 2013. Colorado United Day brought together volunteers from all over the state for a dedicated work day that continued ongoing disaster relief efforts in many communities. At the end of the day, Governor Hickenlooper addressed the crowd at VIVA LYONS, as the culminating event to this statewide effort.

Oskar Blues Brewery has been a steadfast partner with The Infamous Stringdusters in supporting Colorado flood relief through the Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation. The inaugural event brought out 3,000 volunteers and music fans while generating $60,000 in revenue for the foundation. The foundation emerged following the Colorado flooding and has raised over $1 million total while contributing over $700,000 to Colorado flood relief. All proceeds from the event benefit CAN’d Aid Foundation.

The event was made possible by The Zayo Group, Bank of The West, Xcel Energy and Oskar Blues Brewery. Produced in conjunction with the Town of Lyons, Cyclists 4 Lyons and the Office of Governor Hickenlooper, VIVA LYONS will become an annual celebration for Front Range communities to come together and mark new beginnings.