Community Volunteer Award- Coral Anderson

by Brian Manning
LA VETA — Coral Anderson calls herself a seasoned volunteer and says she is not a hero. However, the evidence shows she works tirelessly for the community making things happen. Anderson is someone who sees what has to be done and organizes people to do it. She claims that a small town is easy to organize because of so many willing people as opposed to large cities where everyone thinks someone else will do it.
Coral and her husband, Dick, met in Denver where they both worked in the same hospital; she as a nurse and he as a respiratory therapist. They wanted to move to a quiet location and liked La Veta, so they bought property and settled here. She is currently employed part-time as a surgery nurse in the Spanish Peaks Medical Center and still works in Denver several days a month. Her husband is an author and has published The Ghost Book. They have been married for 31 years.
When they moved to La Veta, Nancy Christofferson talked Anderson into being president of the La Veta Cuchara Chamber of Commerce. She then became involved in other projects. She was a member of the fire department in La Veta for a short time. She worked on the annual Oktoberfest for 20 years and helped organize a recycling program when the local dump was closing. She has served briefly on the hospital board.
Anderson is currently the President of the Francisco Center for Performing Arts, a non-profit organization offering music, theater, dance, and other events. The purpose of this organization is to provide a place to highlight local talent and showcase special event performances. The FCPA encourages local artists and gives them a venue to develop their art.
She has also been active for many years as a volunteer for the Francisco Fort Museum. The museum’s volunteers educate school children, tourists, and locals about the region’s past through exhibits and tours. They also stage a major fundraiser, a Saloon Night when some of the women members dress up as dance hall girls from the 1800s.
Coral Anderson lives a very active life but still has time to work for the community. She displays that true volunteer spirit which inspires others.