The Sprint Community Champions Program honored one outstanding Denver-area resident who has made a positive impact on the Denver community with a $5,000 Sprint Foundation grant to a qualified non-profit of the honoree’s choice.  That honoree was Adams County District Attorney Don Quick!

Westminster resident Don Quick was selected as the 2009 Sprint Community Champion honoree, and the Sprint Foundation will be awarding a $5,000 grant to Don’s selected charitable organization, the Mapleton Education Foundation. Don is the district attorney for Adams and Broomfield Counties and has made it his mission to see that all kids reach their full potential. Don’s extensive work with the Mapleton Education Foundation, including sitting on the board, helps generate the support and funding needed to keep kids engaged and off the streets after school. Don is also a founding partner in the Adams County Youth Initiative (ACYI) which is a countywide partnership to keep kids in school and out of the justice system.

Initiated in 2005, by 17th Judicial District Attorney Don Quick, the Adams County Youth Initiative (ACYI) is a countywide collaborative committed to increase high school graduation rates (without a substance abuse problem or criminal record) and to decrease delinquency through evidence-based programs and strategies. Largely due to the groundwork of ACYI, Adams County was awarded a 5-year (2007-12), $8 million federally funded Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant (SS/HS) serving children birth to age 21 and their families in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, District 14, District 27J, District 50 and Mapleton Public Schools. Through ACYI and SS/HS, a consortium of partner agencies including school districts, law enforcement, mental health, social services, juvenile justice, work force development and providers of early childhood services have agreed to work together to improve the coordination of resources in Adams County for the purpose of promoting the health and well-being of children and families.