CAPPED seeks votes to win $100K

ALAMOGORDO — USA Today recently launched a philanthropic initiative, ACT, which stands for “A Community Thrives” that provides grants up to $100,000 for communities to improve and expand upon their ideas for the community.

Alamogordo’s own local-non-profit organization, CAPPED, an organization that supports cancer survivors and provides preventive programs, is hoping for a chance to win a grant to achieve their goal of building a community labyrinth.

The 180-foot labyrinth is the vision of CAPPED Executive Director Tresa VanWinkle to encourage the community to walk and live a healthy lifestyle.

The total cost to complete the labyrinth is $300,000.  At this time, CAPPED has raised $149,000. If they win the grant, they will be on their way to making their vision a reality.

“A labyrinth is a geometric walking path, the labyrinth that we are proposing to build is flat. One of the purposes of building this one here in Alamogordo is to help encourage and support our community in walking. Walking is one of the healthiest things you can do to promote and protect our good health,” VanWinkle said. “A lot of people for one reason or another have gotten out of the habit of walking.”

CAPPED currently has a contract with the City of Alamogordo to build the labyrinth on the corner of Washington Avenue and First Street.

“We have a contract with the City of Alamogordo to allow us to build the labyrinth on the corner of Washington Avenue and First Street. Once it’s built the city has agreed to maintain the labyrinth so it’s a win-win situation for our community,” VanWinkle said. “Our tax dollars have not gone into this labyrinth. It’s all private funding and grant funding. PNM has provided funding to help get this initiative started and individuals in the community have donated cash.”

VanWinkle started thinking about creating CAPPED in 1998 when she was traveling to Houston, Texas for her sister’s cancer treatments.

“I thought about it for two years because I knew if I moved forward with it, it would change my life forever,” VanWinkle said. “In 2000 I threw my heart over the fence and shared the idea with a few friends and it started rolling. In 2001, the building was donated and it was in a dismal state of repair. It took us over two years and we raised $35,000. The Builders Association of Otero County stepped in and they helped us get it remodeled.”

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CAPPED officially opened its doors on June 17, 2003 and its goal has been to make New Mexico number one in the primary prevention of cancer.

When VanWinkle heard of the opportunity for a chance to win a grant of $100,000 she jumped at the chance to enter to fulfill her dream of creating a community labyrinth for everyone to enjoy.

“This is an outstanding opportunity to bring $100,000 into the community from the outside. The labyrinth park will help Alamogordo in many ways to help citizens. We have been to several schools in the community and they are extremely excited to have this labyrinth to take the school children for outings, which I think is an awesome idea,” VanWinkle said. “The Senior Center thinks this is a wonderful project for our community. On a larger scale, for economic development for Otero County, a labyrinth is a wonderful draw. Not only for tourism but also for retirees.”

VanWinkle said many people believe that a labyrinth could add more value to a community and draw in more tourists.

“Some people believe in the near future, that a community labyrinth is going to be more valued than a golf course for retirees,” she said. “On a state level, this will be the largest labyrinth in a 300 mile radius outside of Alamogordo. It will draw more tourism, there are people in the United States that are planning their vacations for labyrinth stops across the U.S.”

VanWinkle said the possibilities are endless and most importantly it will help those recovering in physical rehabilitation.

“A flat labyrinth will be supportive of people who are in physical rehab from injuries or surgeries because they can walk as far or as short a distance they want. We’re going to have benches throughout the labyrinth. They will never be more than 40 or 50 ft. from a bench to sit on,” she said. “A lot of people are afraid of walking around the block because they’re afraid they’ll get to a point where they can’t walk back to safety, so the labyrinth will be supportive of that.”

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She said the labyrinth will also be great for children to help them get in the habit of walking.

“It’s inspiring for all ages. For little children, when you put them in front of the labyrinth they’ll walk slowly to make sure they don’t get out of the line but after a little while their confidence builds and they’ll start to speed up a little bit,” VanWinkle said. “Half way through, they’ll be skipping and at the end they’re going to run. Once they get to the center they’ll be filled with joy.”

To vote for CAPPED for a chance to win $100,000 in funding visit USA Today Network’s ACT website at http://act.usatoday.com/ Click on Vote Now” and search for “Alamogordo” to view this project. Voting ends May 12.