cheers for conservation
Thank you to all who joined our 2025 event!
With your generous support, we raised over $60,000 to protect land and water for people and wildlife. We’ll look forward to seeing you at Cheers in 2027!
2025 George E. Cranmer Award Presented to the Olander Family
As fifth-generation farmers, Steve and Marsha Olander are the owners of Olander Farms in Loveland, Colorado. In December 2022, the Olanders permanently protected their 112-acre farm with a conservation easement, conserving the land and water and preserving the rich agricultural heritage of Northern Colorado.
Carrying forward the family legacy, Todd and Emily Olander farm the land and operate Root Shoot Malting, growing high quality local grain for the Colorado beverage industry. With a focus on innovative agriculture and a commitment to responsible stewardship, Todd and Emily represent the next generation of agricultural leaders in Northern Colorado who are propelling land conservation in our state.
Today, Todd and Emily use their story to inspire broader conservation awareness—beyond their own land—and encourage a future that supports agricultural communities, families, and wildlife.
2025 Event Sponsors
Conservator Sponsors
Wes and Marty Segelke
Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation
Steward Sponsors
Rivendale Farm and Ranch
Conservation Tax Credit Transfer
The Family Jones/Jack and Judy Pottle
Tate & Eileen McCoy
Tracy Dunning & Eric Sondermann
Rule4
Paul Phillips & Susan Zimmermann
Ally Sponsors
Mountain, Valley and Plains Inc
Michael P. Dowling
Holsinger Law
Pawnee Butte Seeds
Allen C. Beezley, P.C.
Friend Sponsors
Sara J. Streight, LLC
Newell Grant
Martha Records & Rich Rainaldi
The Bradley Group, LLC Real Estate Services
About the event
Colorado Open Lands hosts Cheers for Conservation biennually to celebrate the leaders, landowners, and landscapes of Colorado. The event has a dual purpose: as a fundraiser to support Colorado Open Lands’ conservation work, and to honor an individual or group for their lifetime of achievements in support of Colorado’s outdoors, land conservation, and open space.
You can learn more about sponsoring this event in the future by contacting Elizabeth Silverman at [email protected].
the cranmer award
The George E. Cranmer Award is named for the former Manager of Denver Parks and Improvements (1935-1947). Mr. Cranmer is credited with establishing Denver’s Parks and Recreational system, and he was the driving force in developing Red Rocks Amphitheater, Winter Park and many of the city’s public pools. The Cranmer Award goes to a person who has distinguished themselves in open space preservation by going above and beyond what others have done, and often get things completed through determination and force of personality, leaving a legacy that will be valued and enjoyed for generations to come – all characteristics that reflect Mr. Cranmer’s personality and legacy.
Former winners of the George E. Cranmer Award include Colorado’s community of appraisers, The Grant Family, Valerie Gates, Steve Wooten – Beatty Canyon Ranch, Sue Anschutz Rodgers, George Beardsley, The Colorado Forum, and many more distinguished Coloradans.
To sign up for Colorado Open Lands e-news updates and find out about future events, click here.