2024 Champions of Democracy Celebration
May 16, 2024
Come Join the Celebration!
Keynote Speaker: Senator Mark Udall
2024 Champions of Democracy Award Honoree:
Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom
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Sponsorships available
Email Champions@bocodems.org for more information
WE'RE THRILLED to announce this year's Keynote speaker, Senator Mark Udall! 
Colorado resident and native westerner Mark Udall represented the people of Colorado in the US Senate from 2009 to 2015 and the 2nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2009. He also served one term in the Colorado State Legislature from 1997 to 1999. Senator Udall was known during his 18 years of serving in elective office for reaching across party lines to solve problems.
He successfully championed bipartisan legislation to balance the nation's budget, fight climate change, protect our public lands, and establish tough but smart national security policies. During his 2014 Senate Campaign, Sen. Udall sounded the alarm about threats to abortion rights and reproductive freedom that now, a decade later, are becoming the reality in many states across the country.
In the Senate, Sen. Udall played a key role at real political risk in exposing the ClA's unconstitutional and immoral torture program that was secretly begun after 9/11. Prior to serving in the Congress, Mark served as a field instructor and later as Executive Director for the Colorado Outward Bound School.
Mark is an avid mountaineer and has climbed or attempted some of the world's most challenging peaks including Mt Everest, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Denali, and Aconcagua. Udall is no stranger to long, committing expeditions: He has skied for 40 days across Alaska's Brooks Range; completed two-man alpine-style ascents of Denali's Cassin Ridge and the Messner Route on Aconcagua's South Face; undertook with his wife Maggie a self supported 1200 mile circular trek on the Colorado Plateau beginning and ending at Lee's Ferry; and has completed two dozen sea kayaking journeys in Baja including in 2018 a 200-mile, 18-day solo paddle.
Since his tenure in the Senate, Sen. Udall has continued in his dedication to service. He currently sits on the boards of The Grand Canyon Trust, Protect Our Winters (POW), The dZi Foundation, The Council for a Livable World, and Gifford's: Courage to Fight Gun Violence.
PLEASE CONGRATULATE the honoree for the prestigious 2024 Champions of Democracy Award: Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom (CPRF). This award is BCDP’s highest honor and is given annually at the organization’s marquee Champions of Democracy event. 
Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom is a coalition of six organizations that are dedicated to protecting Coloradans' right to abortion; currently, they are the force behind Initiative 89, which is working to make abortion access part of our state constitution.
The groups comprising Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom include:
* ACLU Colorado
* COBALT Advancing Abortion Access and Reproductive Rights
* Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights
* Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
* New Era Colorado
* PNC Progress Now Colorado
For more information, please email Champions@bocodems.org
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