The Keith B. Kester memorial fund will match donations 3:1, up to $24,000.
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To honor my dad and carry forward his commitment to giving back to the community, I am committing $24,000 that I inherited from my dad as a 3:1 match for any donations made to the Denver Deserves Sidewalks campaign between now and July 8. That means for every dollar YOU donate, the Denver Deserves Sidewalks campaign will receive four dollars! If donors contribute a total of at least $8,000 by July 8, this will unlock the full matching amount, and a total of at least $32,000 will go to the campaign. These funds will help us achieve a major win for people-friendly streets and ensure that every Denver neighborhood has a complete, well-maintained sidewalk network.
As Father’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking about my dad, who passed away in the summer of 2020. Before the pandemic, every month my dad would take the train from his home in Arvada to downtown Denver and meet me for lunch. We would talk about politics, and about projects he had going on at his house. We would make plans to go hiking together, and I would show him how to do things on his smartphone. And he would always ask about my work at the Denver Streets Partnership (and before that, WalkDenver). If DSP had installed a mural, he would go see it and take pictures that he could show to his friends. If DSP had an online petition calling on our leaders to take action for people-friendly streets, he would sign it. If DSP was doing a fundraising campaign, he would donate. The path that my career has taken, and the work that I do as a professional, embodies many lessons I learned from my dad. As an educator, my dad encouraged me to be curious, ask questions, and be open to new ideas. As a scientist, he taught me to do research, collect data, and think analytically. As a runner and a regular bike commuter, he demonstrated how being healthy and active doesn’t have to be complicated or require lots of expensive gear, but can just be part of daily life. As a religious, civically engaged, environmentalist, he showed me how to care for the larger community and the natural world, and to give generously to good causes. He believed in me, and gave me the confidence that I could do whatever I put my mind to. Sometimes to the chagrin of my friends and family, I also inherited my dad’s stubborn persistence, and refusal to give up.
Jill and her dad, Keith Kester, hiking together in Golden Gate Canyon State Park in September, 2019
If I were to meet him for lunch today, my dad would be very interested in the Denver Deserves Sidewalks campaign. He would admire the many years of community organizing aimed at raising awareness of Denver’s sidewalk problem and building support for meaningful solutions. He would be impressed by the careful thought our Sidewalk Committee put into crafting the proposed sidewalk ordinance, researching Denver’s current ordinances and models from other cities, collecting data and doing lots of number crunching, and considering the needs of disparate neighborhoods across the city. He would understand how publicly funding sidewalks will make our city more fair and equitable, particularly for people with disabilities, older adults, parents with children, and lower income families that depend on walking for transportation. He would be thrilled by the democratic process of putting forward a citizen-initiated ballot measure, giving Denver voters the ability to decide whether sidewalks should be a priority for our city. And he would ask how he can help. This Father’s Day, please consider honoring all the dads who care for us, our children, and our communities in Denver by making a donation to Denver Deserves Sidewalks.
Gratefully,
Jill Locantore
Executive Director, Denver Streets Partnership
Header photo: Jill and her dad, Keith Kester, enjoy a moment together on the sidewalk in New Haven, CT, in 1976.