Every year, the Heart of Broomfield Awards shine a light on those who uplift our community through compassion, service, and incredible dedication. Now in its 24th year, this cherished tradition celebrates individuals and groups whose generosity and selflessness inspire us all. From a visionary leader’s lifelong contributions to everyday acts of kindness and collaborative impact, our 2025 honorees embody the very best of Broomfield.

The Foundation is excited to introduce you to 2025 honorees:

• Kathy Escobar, Enduring Heart Lifetime Achievement
• Dawn Rachjaibun, Heart and Soul, and
• Broomfield Veterans Museum, Hearts of Gold

Learn about the powerful ways these awardees are making a difference—through leadership, service, and collective action. Their accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary. In fact, due to the depth of their contributions, below, impact is described through key pillars—allowing you to fully appreciate both the scale and nature of their work. Click the button below each awardee’s summary to explore their personal stories in greater depth.

⭐We’ll be producing videos in the coming weeks to highlight each of these impactful honorees—stories you won’t want to miss!

🎉Then, join us in person at the Heart of Broomfield Awards Breakfast Reception on Friday, May 30th from 8:30–10:30 a.m. to help celebrate these extraordinary individuals and organizations.

Click HERE to purchase tickets. Full event details can also be found at the bottom of this page.

Kathy Escobar, Enduring Heart Lifetime Achievement

Honoring the Enduring Heart Lifetime Achievement leader: Kathy Escobar

A lifetime achievement award for a proven community leader and visionary whose energy, passion, sense of humor and wisdom has made Broomfield a better place.

For nearly 20 years, Kathy has built bridges, broken barriers, and brought people together across lines of difference—all in service of a stronger, more compassionate Broomfield.

From co-founding The Refuge in 2006 to launching mobile outreach, health clinics, recovery groups, and literacy programs, Kathy’s legacy is rooted in action and sustained by heart. The statistics below reflect just one year—2024—of her community impact. Now imagine the expansive effect of two decades of dedicated service.

To celebrate this well-deserved recognition, we’re highlighting the seven pillars that define Kathy’s extraordinary legacy—and the impact each continues to make across our community.

1. Radical Inclusion and Belonging

Kathy creates spaces where everyone—regardless of background, identity, or circumstance—is welcomed, seen, and valued.

🌍 In 2024,The Refuge Café welcomed 5,340 visitors (724 unduplicated), with 32% identifying as BIPOC and 48% over the age of 45—reflecting the diversity and reach of Kathy’s community-centered approach. Events like Refuge Rainbow Teens and interfaith Iftar gatherings reflect her commitment to cultural and identity inclusion.

2. Healing-Centered Leadership

Rooted in trauma-informed care, Kathy leads with empathy, honesty, and vulnerability to support personal and collective healing.

🌱 In 2024 alone,The Refugehosted multiple recovery and support groups each week, while Community Heals facilitated dozens of nature-based healing events, including hikes, paddleboarding, and peer gatherings focused on emotional restoration and resilience.

3. Community-Driven Innovation

Kathy listens deeply to community needs and responds with agile, grassroots solutions that reflect the lived experiences of those she serves.

👩🏽 The Single Moms Unite program, launched in response to the high poverty rate among single mothers, hosted 40+ events in 2024, directly supporting 97 mothers and their children through support, celebration, and connection.

❤️‍🩹 The Advocates Learning Lab was launched to support service providers experiencing burnout, offering monthly sessions that combine skill-building and mutual care.

4. Systemic Change and Advocacy

Kathy works to transform not just individuals, but the systems that impact their lives.

🏚️ Kathy has helped shape Broomfield’s homelessness response strategy and served on the Broomfield Housing Solutions Forum, contributing to policies focused on equity-based funding for mental health and affordable housing.

🚐 In 2024, she led or contributed to 77 mobile outreach shifts, resulting in 554 direct connections with unhoused neighbors—providing both tangible support and system-level insights

5. Collaborative Empowerment  Believing that we are stronger together, Kathy builds partnerships that amplify impact, nurture mutual respect, and invite shared leadership.

🤝 Kathy collaborates with dozens of local agencies and volunteers to facilitate healthcare access, employment services, and community programming. Through partnerships with St. Benedict Health and Healing Ministry, she helped deliver:

• 103 physician consults
• 87 nurse consults
• 22 physical therapy sessions
• 31 acute illness checks
  
  

6. Accessible Holistic Care

Kathy ensures that care is not only available but approachable, wrapping physical, mental, and emotional well-being into everyday spaces.

🩺 In 2024, The Refuge’s Health Advocacy program delivered:

• 108 COVID-19 & flu vaccines
• 126 individuals receiving health screenings
• 336 individuals connected to health and social services
• 18 harm reduction and STI testing clinics
• $2,300 in preventative care supplies distributed to over 350 individuals

7. Transformational Storytelling

Through books, workshops, and intimate conversations, Kathy shares stories that illuminate pain, spark connection, and invite change.

📚 Kathy is the author of six books on transformation, healing, and faith, which are widely read by individuals and small groups across the country. You can find Kathy's website by searching Kathy Escobar in your browser.
🗣️ Her storytelling is not only written—she leads workshops and speaking events that empower others to explore their own narratives and take steps toward healing, advocacy, and leadership.

Kathy Escobar doesn’t just serve her community—she changes how it serves one another.

If you're now inspired, learn about the wide range of volunteer opporunities available at The Refuge HERE.

🧡 Thank you, Kathy, for reminding us that when we all give—we all rise.

Dawn Rachjaibun, Heart and Soul

Celebrating the Heart and Soul of Broomfield: Dawn Rachjaibun

Recognizing an individual who consistently gives of themselves to their neighbors, local groups and even strangers, and whose actions are the epitome of a community with heart.

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For more than 25 years, Dawn serves as the Aquatics Program Manager for the City and County of Broomfield—transforming facilities, mentoring thousands, and championing safety and wellness across generations.

From toddlers learning to swim, to high school athletes, to older adults reclaiming mobility through water therapy—Dawn touches every corner of Broomfield’s community pool life. And her care doesn’t stop at the water’s edge. She is a mentor, neighbor, volunteer, and friend whose compassion and leadership ripple far beyond her job title.

To highlight Dawn’s extraordinary impact, we’re lifting up the five core pillars that define her legacy—and the powerful statistics and stories that reflect her lasting influence.

💦 1. Transforming Facilities

Dawn’s vision and leadership shape the places where our community comes together.

• Plays a key role in $85 million in capital improvements at The Bay, Broomfield Community Center, and Paul Derda Recreation Center
• Ensures inclusive design for year-round aquatics use across all age groups

“Dawn’s fingerprints are on every municipal pool in Broomfield.” — Michael Usrey, nominator

🏊‍♀️ 2. Lifelong Aquatics for All

Under Dawn’s leadership, aquatics programs serve as a source of connection and well-being for thousands.

• Welcomes over 3 million pool visitors during her tenure
• Programming includes Special Olympics swim meets, synchronized swimming, water aerobics, scuba, and the Mini HaHa Triathlon, which has welcomed 4,750+ participants
• Supports three high school teams, three club swim teams, and three water polo teams
• “She supports ALL aquatics activities and thanklessly gives of her time with her whole heart.” — Emily Austin, BHS Swim Coach

🧑‍🏫 3. Empowering the Next Generation

• Dawn builds confidence, responsibility, and leadership in Broomfield’s youth.
• Hires and mentors over 5,000 lifeguards—many in their first-ever job
• Manages over 250 summer staff annually Staff describe her as a second parent, career mentor, and lifelong supporter

“She creates a culture that feels like home.” — Brady Reichert, Pool Manage

🛟 4. Champion of Safety & Wellness

Dawn’s focus on safety saves lives—and builds confidence that extends far beyond the pool.

• Personally trains over 2,000 individuals in CPR
• Leads 35,000+ swim lessons, earning Red Cross distinction for delivering the most in a 3-state region
• Broomfield Aquatics receives the Red Cross Gold Excellence Unit Award annually for nearly a decade
• Trains coaches and parents to run timing systems for local meets, ensuring fairness and opportunity
  

❤️ 5. A Heart that Reaches Beyond Aquatics

Dawn’s compassion shines in every part of her life and community service.

• Organizes the Team Nora Walk in 2014 for an 8-year-old neighbor with cancer, drawing over 500 people
• Her family wraps their tree in blue lights each year in Nora’s honor
• Competes in the Colfax Marathon and donates winnings to a local food bank
• Participates in Dancing with the Broomfield Stars to support the Broomfield Community Foundation

“Dawn makes people feel seen, supported, and cared for—in every setting.” — Roxane Sondrup, neighbor and instructo

⭐ Thank you, Dawn, for showing us how one leader’s love and dedication make waves that last a lifetime.

View the photos below to see highlights of Dawn’s incredible journey—from pool deck leadership to community celebrations and everything in between.

Scroll through the below pictures using the arrow buttons, or just sit back and watch.

Broomfield Veterans Museum - a special group where Service Never Ends—It Evolves

Hearts of Gold Award Honoree: Broomfield Veterans Museum

Recognizing a group of volunteers, business, department, or collaborative team whose combined efforts have significantly strengthened our community.

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The Broomfield Veterans Museum is more than a collection of military memorabilia—it’s a living, breathing tribute to service, sacrifice, and the stories that shape our nation. For over 20 years, the museum has served as a vital community hub, offering free admission, immersive exhibits, and a soldier-first storytelling approach. It welcomes visitors of all ages, while volunteers and veterans also bring history to life by visiting classrooms and civic groups across the region.

“They effectively bridge the gap between history and personal experience,” shared Savannah Schneider, a teacher at Thunder Vista P-8. “Our students walk away with a newfound respect for those who’ve served—and a deeper gratitude for their freedoms.”

What Makes the Veterans Museum Special?

🧭 Honoring Service Through Education

Founded in 2002 by six local veterans—including Paul Murphy, a survivor of the USS Indianapolis—the Museum was created to honor the individual stories of service members and educate the public about their experiences. Today, that mission thrives through nine exhibit rooms, a 3,000-volume library, hundreds of oral history interviews, and a multimedia presentation space. School field trips, traveling families, and curious locals alike are welcomed with free admission and docent-led tours.

🗣️ Sharing Stories, Bridging Generations

The Museum’s Speakers Bureau sends veterans into classrooms and civic organizations to share firsthand accounts that bring history to life. As teacher Savannah Schneider reflected, “Our students walk away with a newfound respect for those who’ve served—and a deeper gratitude for their freedoms.”

Education specialist David Little echoed the impact of these conversations on the veterans themselves: “Sometimes it clears their conscience. Sometimes it brings back a good memory or the name of a friend long forgotten. And we get to witness that.”

🤝 Building Camaraderie and Purpose

For many veterans, volunteering at the Museum rekindles the bonds formed in military service. “There’s a brotherhood that forms in the military,” shared board president Gary Francis. “You miss that when you get out. This is a way to get some of that back.” Volunteers curate exhibits, lead tours, host community events, and foster a space of shared identity and purpose.

💙 Supporting Veterans in Need

Beyond education and engagement, the Museum provides vital support through the Davenport Fund, offering confidential financial assistance for housing, transportation, or other urgent needs. In 2024, the Museum expanded the fund to meet increasing demand. Volunteers also organize seasonal drives like the holiday stocking campaign, ensuring no veteran is left behind.

🎖️ Civic Engagement and Reflection

From Memorial Day ceremonies to Coffee & Conversation events, the Museum remains an active civic partner. These programs create space for connection, remembrance, and community-wide reflection. As Michael Gordon of the Rotary Club noted, “The volunteers’ compassionate approach has created a welcoming and inclusive environment for veterans of all ages and backgrounds. They embody the very essence of the Heart of Broomfield.”

“One of Broomfield’s greatest hidden gems,” described local reporter Corbette Stevenson. “It’s a place where veterans and non-veterans come together to learn, share, and connect.”

“They embody the very essence of the Heart of Broomfield—selflessness, dedication, and community,” added Rotary Club President Michael Gordon.

☕ Come Visit: Coffee & Conversation

Every 2nd and 4th Saturday • 10–11 a.m.

Enjoy refreshments and informal talks led by veterans and historians. Ask questions, hear personal stories, and reflect on the broader context of military service in a welcoming setting.

🇺🇸 Annual Special Events

The Veterans Museum hosts and co-hosts several incredible annual events — check them out HERE.

 November's Veterans Day Ceremony draws hundreds of attendees as covered in this 2024 story.