ALAMOSA — The SUDS 4 SAR is from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday at the San Luis Valley Brewing Company in Alamosa. The festivities will help Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue (AVSAR) raise money for regional rescue missions.
AVSAR is entirely non-profit and operates under the jurisdiction of the Alamosa County Sheriff's Office. Their mission states, "Our purpose is to coordinate and conduct search and rescue operations in Alamosa County...so that others may live."
After a successful rescue along the South Crestone Lake trail on Aug. 12, Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson said, "This group [AVSAR] is an asset. Everyone up there today is a volunteer. They all cost money to be here. They have jobs and families, and they all volunteer." Jackson said he looks forward to attending the fundraiser on Saturday.
Not only do the AVSAR responders do it for free and volunteer their time, but they also often pay for rescue gear.
A 2022 Colorado Parks and Wildlife study determined that, on average, a SAR responder spent $1,587 of their own money on rescue equipment. The study also found that the 2,800 SAR volunteers in the state contributed about 500,000 hours, estimated to be worth $21 million annually.
According to the group, "AVSAR encourages you to avoid needing SAR in the first place" and offers the following, "don't rely on anyone else's opinion about the difficulty of a route — bring your common sense instead. Don't try a new route alone. Pay attention to the weather. Set a turnaround time and stick to it. Tell someone responsible where you are going when you will be back, and who to call if you don't make it back as planned."
The word "volunteer" in the group name, Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, is the operative here. Volunteer, "A person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced to do it," describes what the members of AVSAR do.
To support the group, attend the annual SUDS 4 SAR block party from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, on San Juan Avenue next to San Luis Valley Brewing in downtown Alamosa. The event will include live music, AVSAR merchandise, a silent auction, and more.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife sells the CORSAR card, which helps fund volunteer search and rescue teams throughout the state. You can purchase the card and show your support of AVSAR on Saturday in downtown Alamosa.
