1991-2021

30 Years of Broadcasting.

For us, it is a chance to reflect on what AINC means, where we were, and where we are going. Our community makes a difference every day. Thank you for our first 30 years, and here’s to our next.

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Join us by participating in Colorado Gives Day on December 7th!

This year, AINC is celebrating 30 years of broadcasts in conjunction with Colorado Gives Day! We’re building a fundraising event to keep that momentum going. Colorado Gives Day is an annual statewide movement to celebrate and increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Donations are accepted through ColoradoGives.org.

Help us reach our $30,000 goal!

One thousand dollars for every year we have served Colorado’s blind, visually impaired, and print disabled residents. Help us reach our goal by scheduling a donation now!

Memories of the last 30 years…

Penn Street:

Penn street hugging her husband from behind on a beach on their wedding day.

30 years ago my two stepdaughters were little girls, I was teaching full-contact self-defense class, and I could not imagine what my life could possibly look like in 30 years. If I could travel through time I would tell my younger self to take more time to enjoy the small things because they would become cherished memories. I was so busy preparing for my future I don’t think I stopped often to enjoy the present. I think today I will take a few moments to enjoy the me I worked so hard to become.

Kat Bradbury:

Kat with long black hair sitting in a chair, smiling.

1995:  26 years ago, I came into the AINC studios in Boulder located at 5290 Arapaho Ave. Regina Heger was in charge of auditioning and assigning volunteers. Auditions were recorded on a reel-to-reel tape recorder and checked by Regina Heger. I was assigned at that time to the 90 minute ‘live’ Thursday morning broadcast reading of the Rocky Mountain News with Hyman (Hy) Solomon. There are no pause buttons in “live” broadcast so we always had two readers. I read this weekly for 5 years until I came on board as a staff member in Feb of 2000.

Alex Flynn:

Alex sitting infront of a brick wall with a short pink haircut and a denim jacket

6 years ago I walked into AINC studios to do my volunteer audition. I was so nervous – I thought I totally botched it! Kat brought me into her office and began playing my audio back to me. Of course, I was cringing listening to my own voice (who likes hearing their own voice anyway?)… But after some words of wisdom, Kat put me on Gilpin County News. I started volunteering at AINC to challenge myself to be confident in my voice. I  then made it my goal to get a job at AINC.  I’m celebrating my 4 years of employment at AINC. It has been a wild, but amazing, ride!

Matt Kissane:

Matt and Ryan sitting and laughingI had never needed to worry about the TP inventory in the men’s room, always well-supplied for our volunteer readers and staff, until we ran out. While the order was in transit, I used paper towels for a few days. Then our audio engineer, Katy, invited a guest: our old friend, her predecessor, Ryan. During his visit, he emerged from the men’s room and announced we were out of TP. I said I had to use the rough stuff all week. Katy immediately said, “Why don’t you take some from the women’s room? There’s a bunch in there.”
Now I know.

Kim Wardlow:

Kim with short blonde hair on a grassy field holding a very fluffy dog, smiling

I started volunteering in 1999 reading children’s programming. For the first few months, I recorded on reel-to-reel tape. Recorded programs were played overnight using a VCR. I lived and worked in Denver so drove to Boulder once a week to record. By September the recording studios were computerized and I was working in Boulder so I could record over my lunch hour. I had no idea then that I would be joining the AINC staff two years later.

Kat Bradbury:

Headshot of Kat in 1991, smiling.Where was I 30 years ago? 1991 I was in Polarity Therapy training, working a full time gig, working a part time gig as a clinical specialist, and teaching step aerobics. It was also when first became aware of the Radio Reading Service of the Rockies (original name), as a credit union was in the same building, and I first saw the sign for RRSR. It took me 5 years for my life to slow down enough to where I was ready to investigate what RRSR was all about.

Share your memory!

Help us build our memory collection! Share your memory by filling out the form below. Your memory can be anything that was significant to you over the last 30 years. For example:

  • Where were you 30 years ago?
  • What was your first day as a volunteer/listener like?
  • Share a moment where AINC changed your life.
  • What has changed the most since you first got involved with AINC?

*Note that your memory and full name will be made public on this website and social media. If you wish to remain anonymous, leave name field blank.

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