Honoring the most golden of them all

Not often does the opportunity come up to be in a room filled with positivity, said Marv Kay, a Golden community member and Colorado School of Mines graduate who has been actively involved in the school his entire professional career –; a former professor, head coach and athletics director.

He currently works for the Colorado School of Mines Foundation, the university’s fundraising arm.

But on Oct. 25, that is just what occurred.

“Tonight we are here to celebrate the unique character of Golden, and some of Golden’s unique characters,” said Golden Mayor Marjorie Sloan. There are “amazing people here.”

With a turnout of more than 100 people, the Mayor’s 2016 Community Event took place at 6:30 p.m. in the student center on the Colorado School of Mines campus. Along with the presentation of the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence, the seventh annual event highlighted the contributions Mines makes to the greater Golden community and vice versa.

“I can’t imagine the Colorado School of Mines without Golden, and Golden without the Colorado School of Mines,” said Mines President Paul Johnson.

The mayor handed out five awards to recognize honorable contributions to the Golden community at the celebration.

The Golden High School Interact Club, Betty and Harold Payte, Gene Child and Jesse and Jessica Swift received a Mayor’s Award for Excellence. A new recognition this year –; the GoldMine Award, which honors a person who made an impression on the college and the city –; went to Dana Steiner.

Winning an award in Golden is not easy, said Ed Perlmutter, the U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 7th Congressional District.

“It is the people of Golden that makes it so special,” Perlmutter said. “The community-mindedness of Golden is second to none.”

And to further honor the awardees, Perlmutter presented each with a cetificate of recognition, showing that their accomplishments were read into the Congressional Record of the 114th Congress.

Kay delivered the keynote speech at the event –; a moving recollection of some of his personal tales from Mines tied with history of the school.

He talked about the extravagant fireworks display during the annual E-Days event, the ruckus students caused on Senior Day in the 1920s and ’30s until the school put a stop to it in the 1940s, football games and the first M Climb.

No sight is more welcoming than seeing the M on Mount Zion, Kay said.

He concluded his speech by quoting Mines’ fight song: “The M up on the mountain will always stand for home.”

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