Q&A
Don Claps, 41, a Broomfield Realtor, took a different route to finishing Monday’s Bolder Boulder: He made the trip head over heels, doing 1,150 cartwheels over the 6.2-mile course in an hour and 50 minutes. The stunt, Cartwheeling for Kids, raised $500 to buy stuffed animals for children undergoing treatments at Children’s Hospital.
Claps made the Guinness Book of Records in 2005 when he did 1,076 in one hour. His website is www.cartwheelingforkids.com.
Q: How did you get into the cartwheel game?
A: The fact that I’ve been a gymnast my whole life gave me the physical conditioning to do it, but when I decided to apply for the TV show “Survivor,” my daughter suggested I do a publicity stunt, so I decided to cartwheel the Bolder Boulder. … It didn’t work. That’s when Cartwheeling for Kids was born.
Q: Do your friends think you’re, well, a little nuts?
A: I think “yes” is the easy answer to that. A lot of people just come right out and say, “You’re just crazy.” And a lot of people ask, “How do you find the motivation for this?” My motivation is doing the fundraising for the children.
Q: What’s next?
A: I’m going to do the Bolder Boulder again next year and try to do a little more publicity to get a little more attention for the fundraiser. Next year, I’ll be back bigger and better.
Q: What advice would you offer anybody who has an idea for a Guinness record?
A: Contact Guinness early and be ready to do a lot of paperwork. And be patient – it’s a long process. Other than that, it’s all conditioning and preparation. If you’re going for a Guinness record, the bar is going to be set awfully high.
– Joey Bunch
REGIONAL NOTES
LOVELAND
Art auction is Alzheimer’s benefit
The northern Colorado office of the Alzheimer’s Association Rocky Mountain Chapter will host the eighth annual “Memories in the Making” art auction on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The event will take place at the Dan Ostermiller Studio, 100 W. First St. in Loveland.
Local businesswoman Julie Piepho will again emcee and Chuck Miller will again act as auctioneer.
All proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter. For more information and tickets, call the Fort Collins Alzheimer’s Association office at 970-472-9798. Additional information is at alzco.org/mimauction.asp.
This year, nearly 200 artists submitted watercolors. A professional jury selected 52 original paintings created by individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementia to be auctioned.
NEDERLAND
Site accepts tree trimmings
Residents in and around Nederland now have a place to deposit their slash, the assorted limbs and brush cleared away from a house to reduce wildfire risk. Through Labor Day, residents can drop off their slash at Boulder County’s Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Center, 286 Ridge Road in Nederland. The cost is $5 per cubic foot. Call first, 303-258-7878.
The station will accept brush and tree limbs up to 6 inches in diameter. The slash will be chipped on site, and residents wishing to take home some wood chips will be able to do so for free.
