Meeker Classic director receives tourism award

Meeker | As part of a statewide tour of eight Colorado communities, in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week, representatives from the Colorado Tourism Office visited Meeker via bus last Thursday as part of the second annual Discover Colorado Roadshow.
Tourism is one of the largest economic generators in Colorado, responsible for one of nine jobs and bringing $1.13 billion in tax revenues into the state in 2015. It’s the vision of the CTO and their “Colorado Comes to Life” initiative to increase those numbers by attracting more national and international visitors as well as Colorado residents traveling within the state to less-frequented locations.
The 1,000-mile, five-day tour started in Golden and followed a loop through Aurora, Burlington, Wiggins, Fort Collins, Steamboat Springs, Meeker and Glenwood Springs.
While in Meeker, the group presented one of 12 “outstanding frontline tourism worker” awards to Maym Cunningham, director of the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials, for her labors.
Cunningham has served as director for the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trials since 2010. The Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trials is in its 31st year, attracting more than 6,000 visitors and competitors worldwide.
Meeker Classic board member Carly Thomson said, “We all know how much Maym does for the Meeker Classic and Meeker community but it was great to see state level recognition. Great job Maym and keep up the good work, you might say it is the effort of the whole board but we all know better and we know you are the glue that holds us and the event together. There would be no Meeker Classic without Maym.”
In addition to presenting the award, the tourism group was treated to lunch and a tour of Meeker’s historic downtown, guided by Ellene Meece, former historical society president, who shared some of the downtown history. The group was able to meet with local business owners.
“They were very impressed with Meeker,” said Meeker Chamber Tourism Coordinator Trudy Burri. “They said it was one of the cleanest towns they’ve ever been in. Several said it was a very ‘hip’ small town.”
Of the 15 tourism office attendees, the majority had never been to Meeker before, and Burri said she believes many of them will come back on their own to visit. “It was great to impress this important group of people with our little town.”