A Mother-Daughter Love of VOC

Alex Schupp • August 9, 2019

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A Mother-Daughter Love of VOC

Hi, my name is Emma Heth, and I’ve been interning with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) this summer. I came to VOC for a number of reasons, but it was my mother, Jen (Dunbar) Heth, who first drew me to VOC. She worked at VOC from 1991-1994 as her first job, formative years both for her and the organization. VOC was in its old office on Grant Street, Dos Chappell was VOC’s Executive Director, and I wasn’t yet born.

One of my mom's favorite VOC stories, and greatest lessons in flexibility, was during a Bike to Nature fundraiser, which she organized as a part of her job. She often laughed about the year that a catering truck full of salmon veered off the road on its way to Bike to Nature, spilling salmon in the trees and all over the highway. My mom was left in a pinch to feed the cyclists, but the thought of salmon hanging in the trees made the story more funny than stressful.

In December 2018, my mom passed away at the age of 51. Her love of Colorado and the outdoors was steadfast until the end; in October, when her prognosis turned sour, she insisted on getting our family up to the mountains together one last time, if only to sit by a lake for some family reflection.

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