History

Once in a while life gives us an unexpected snap on the ear that immediately awakens us to potentials and possibilities that lie before us. Joe and I had such an experience back in 1992 when we were enticed to look at a piece of land in Crawford, Colorado.

Having lived for 16 years in the beautiful mountains above Santa Barbara, California, it was hard to imagine wanting to live anywhere else, but our hearts longed for a winter getaway, where we could relax, hike, and cross country ski for a couple of weeks each winter, away from the relentless traffic and crowds of our California tourist town. We had looked at properties all over Colorado, but something about this patch of earth called Missouri Flats, near Crawford, just captured our imaginations. We looked at each other, and in that moment knew that this would be our new home. The Mad Dog Ranch, as it came to be known, was ours!

The very next year we began construction on our new house, a house that was designed to be a gathering place for our cherished friends and family. At 17,000 square feet, it wasn’t exactly a cottage, but it had inviting warmth, and a hominess about it that made those who visited feel as if they were in a country cottage.

In 1995 we moved into our home, and were welcomed by the local community, who quickly became good neighbors and beloved friends. The pioneering North Fork Valley people are the essence of what all of us imagine a community should be, and being a part of this community compelled us to want to help strengthen it by doing something good for the children.

My work as an administrative director of a children’s camp for fifteen years led me to investigate local programs in the valley that were benefiting and supporting kids locally. As a result, in 1996, we opened our practically new home to the public for a guided tour to raise money in support of the North Fork Valley Children’s Christmas Party Fund. Much to everyone’s amazement, we raised $60,000 in two days! It was astounding, clearly demonstrating that much more could be done to help our local children on many fronts.

Joe and I began to research the needs of kids in the Valley, and as we did, we began to learn the economic realities of Delta County, Colorado. Certainly much could be done, but it would require some organization and local expertise. It wasn’t long before we had a fine cadre of close friends and community leaders who were willing to join us in creating a non-profit group that is now called the Cocker Kids' Foundation.

Since 1998, the Cocker Kids' Foundation has made grants of nearly $700,000 to local youth. Money is raised by producing outstanding, entertaining and just plain fun events, like house tours, yard sales, and other happenings, including an occasional benefit concert by you-know-who.

We are thankful and appreciative to all our Colorado neighbors and friends for all their hard work and financial support right from the start, and to our friends and fans around the world for their donations to the CKF. It really does take a village!

Best wishes,
Pam Cocker