Flying Golf Balls and Free Transit Services

A fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado gives new meaning to Birdies and Eagles in golf. You’re watching the Local News Network, brought to you by StoneAge Waterblast Tools. I’m Wendy Graham-Settle. If you’ve tried, but never succeeded at hitting a hole in one during your golf game, you may have a better chance if you drop your ball from a helicopter. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado will give you a chance to hit your hole in one with its Biggest Little Helicopter Ball Drop Fundraiser, scheduled for 2:00 PM on Thursday, August 18th, on the 18th green, in Dalton Ranch Golf Course. The event is one of several fun activities scheduled for the second annual Big Swing Golf Invitational that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado and the Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s golf teams. In addition to the golf tournament, the event also features a putting contest for golfers of any ability between 9:00 AM and noon. At 2:00 PM, Colorado Highland helicopter charters and Recco SAR will drop more than a hundred balls into hole 18. The 3 balls closest to the pin will win prizes, including cash, store credits, or a smoker barbecue. Adopt a ball for $10 or six balls for 50. Visit bbig.org/big-swing for more information. The Durango Creative Economy Commission has opened a second round of funding request from the lodger’s tax arts and culture fund. Awards totalling $300,000 are available. Requests may be submitted for $5-50,000 for arts projects, venues and capital projects. Deadline to apply is August 31st. The first round of requests totalling $250,000 was awarded at the end of July. To learn more, visit the city of Durango’s website durangogov.org. Durango transit will offer free rides through August 31st as part of Colorado’s Zero Fare for Better Air initiative. Transit services statewide will offer free rides to reduce ground level ozone. About 85% of greenhouse gas emissions come from day-to-day commutes. Leaving your car at home can reduce up to 20 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every day. Taking public transportation rather than driving saves you money, especially with today’s gas prices, and you don’t have to fight the traffic congestion. You can catch up on reading, emails, texts, or podcasts, and you can breathe more easily knowing that you are not contributing greenhouse gases. To learn more, visit durangotransit.com. That’s it for this edition of the Local News Roundup. I’m Wendy Graham-Settle.

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