The YAK is a beloved Leadville and Lake County tradition, revived through the One Community Project to celebrate the stories, voices, and creative spirit that shape our community. The storytelling contest and community event, hosted April 25th, 2025, invited community members to share personal stories, poems, photography, art, and reflections that paint a rich and authentic portrait of who we are. Together, these stories help ground the future vision for Leadville and Lake County in the real hopes, challenges, and connections that define our community today.
Connections start in many ways —
A ball tossed high, some laughs, some days
Spent with friends Some spent at school or More —
Some stay forever, some drift away.
Roots are where we come from deep:
Culture, race, the things we keep.
Home’s a place that makes you feel
Safe, supported, strong, and real.
For me, that’s Leadville — my space, my town,
Where memories lift me up, not down.
Special moments, friends I’ve met —
Times I’ll never just forget.
Through ups and downs, through loss and cheer,
What brings us back is always near:
The people, places, ties that grow —
Home is more than where we go.