When Missy gets hold of a box of crayons, magic happens.

Mind you, it’s not a highly ordered magic. Missy has a unique style that exceeds any regard for lines, boundaries, or even sometimes the edge of the page. Part of that is due to the coordination issues that her disabilities create, but part of it is just sheer untrammeled joy. I mean – there’s crayons! And coloring sheets! How can you not go big?

And so, my wife and I watch our ward create her art. Her colors. Her happiness.

It’s a great way to celebrate.

And that’s exactly how LPC is inviting all of you to celebrate as well.

Once again, we’re holding a coloring contest for Public Power Week (Oct. 6-12). If you’re not familiar with the occasion, this is when we and a whole lot of other utilities celebrate community-owned power in the United States. There’s over 2,000 utilities like us out there, serving around 49 million people with affordable, reliable power that belongs to the customers and the community.

Where does the coloring contest come in? We’ve got an assortment of coloring sheets on our public power week website. (The contest rules are there, too). Grab one, fill it in, and finish the sentence “I love LPC’s electricity, because …” Then send it to us, and we’ll enter you for a chance to win a $50 downtown gift card.

If you’d rather not download, that’s not a problem – we’ve also got hard copy coloring sheets at the Civic Center, the Library, the Museum, the St. Vrain Memorial Building and the Longmont Youth Center.  All you need to add is your choice of crayon, marker, colored pencil, or other multi-hued instrument of your choice. All ages are welcome!

The entries are due by Oct. 12, and we’ll draw a winner (no pun intended) sometime in the following week. To be considered, you can either: 

• Mail or hand-deliver it to us at 1100 South Sherman St., Longmont, CO 80501.
• Email a picture of it with your sentence to LPC@longmontcolorado.gov
• Send a picture of it with your sentence to the LPC Facebook page.

So get your colors ready. It’s time for magic to happen.

I’m sure Missy would approve.