Amid funding cuts and deportation threats, Westwood prioritizes community and culture
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DENVER — Karina Marsh and her family moved to Westwood, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in southwest Denver, about a year ago. They live one block from Garfield Lake Park.
When Marsh and her mom, Dora Vallejo, decided to take a walk in the park to enjoy a sunny Saturday afternoon, they didn’t expect to stumble upon a crowd of 3,000 people enjoying free food, kayaking in the lake, rock climbing and exploring dozens of resource booths.
The pair perused the rows of tents, picking up information about preschool resources for Marsh’s two-year-old son and registering Vallejo for English language classes, then sat on the grass to people-watch. Marsh planned to call her husband to bring their son and join them in the festivities.
This free event — part outdoor recreation festival, part resource fair — is the Safe Summer Kick Off, a Westwood tradition since 2008.
But a lack of funding — and concerns about low attendance due to fear of immigration raids — almost meant canceling the event entirely.
“There's a lot going on right now in not just the community, but just in general, with the administration. A lot of people [are] getting very nervous to be out and engaging,” said Kasandra Ornelas, executive director of the Southwest Denver Coalition, which hosts the event.
Ornelas has lived in southwest Denver her entire life.
“But I think at this point, community really right now needs to come together and have resources. They didn't want to lose the sense of this event. It's something that community looks forward to every year,” she said.
The Southwest Denver Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting southwest Denver with resources like food assistance and education, partners with Denver Parks and Recreation and My Outdoor Colorado to organize the Safe Summer Kick Off.
Hosting the event costs $20,000 and is solely funded by sponsorships and donations from businesses and other nonprofits.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders cutting government funding or services for nonprofit organizations. Corporate businesses have had to tighten their belts too, with tariffs implemented by the Trump administration impacting revenue.
Ornelas said the Coalition feels the trickle-down effects of these budget restraints because its donors and sponsors haven’t contributed as much to fund events.
Last year the Coalition hosted seven events. This year, Ornelas said they can tentatively afford three. After hearing feedback from residents and neighbors, Ornelas said they made sure Safe Summer Kick Off was one of them.
“When community came to us and said they wanted to see this happen, we wanted to make sure we could,” Ornelas said. “I think with everybody realizing it might not happen this year, they all came together to help make it happen.”
Despite starting planning for the event a few months later than usual, the Coalition made a big push for donations, leaning on its partnerships with the city and a few corporate sponsors, and raised the $20,000 needed to make the event possible.
Last year, about 5,000 people attended the event. Ornelas worried that people wouldn’t feel safe gathering in a public space this year due to fears about immigration enforcement.
Erik Carrasco, a southwest Denver native and a teacher in the area, came to the Safe Summer Kick Off last year. He said attendance at the event seemed lower this year.
As a teacher, Carrasco said he noticed a significant drop in student attendance at school after Trump took office, especially among students who recently moved to the United States.
“There's definitely a big fear around this community, being that it's a super big Latino community, as far as immigration concerns go,” Carrasco said.
Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations, and in the first few months of his presidency, he detained more than 80,000 people.
Recent demonstrations in Los Angeles protesting immigration raids in the city were met with military force when the Trump administration deployed the National Guard to the scene and, later, activated Marines. The escalation of the LA protests has sparked nationwide demonstrations against Trump’s deportation efforts.
Despite slightly lower attendance numbers, residents of Westwood and other southwest Denver neighborhoods still showed up in droves to enjoy the festivities.
“I'm just really glad that they were able to make it happen,” Carrasco said.
“Coming out here for me, it's a reminder of all the work that we do for our youth.
I already saw seven students working at several different tents, so it almost goes full circle for me. We get to see the work that we're doing kind of pay back towards the community.”
The activities and many of the resource booths were geared towards families and children. Through Denver Park and Recreation, attendees had the opportunity to try kayaking, rock climbing, fishing and a bike skills course.
Black and Latino people have historically been excluded from outdoor recreation. Research shows a lack of representation combined with the cost of equipment and travel still keep communities of color from accessing nature as often as white people.
The event gave attendees a chance to try something new and connect with their community.
“It just feels like a big family picnic,” attendee Jessica Rosales said. “I think especially after COVID, we lost a sense of community, and I think this brings us back together. It helps your neighbors realize that we're in it together. It brings back a sense of culture to the community.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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