Lakewood Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Awards, Honors

LAKEWOOD, CO — While Lakewood's 50th birthday is June 24, the city is hosting anniversary events and activities throughout the year.

In 1969, residents living in neighborhoods such as Alameda, Green Mountain, Bear Creek, Applewood and Lakewood voted by more than a two-to-one margin to create a city, one of the largest incorporations of its time, according to the Lakewood Heritage Center.

With a population of more than 150,000, Lakewood is now Colorado's fifth-largest city and the third-largest city in Denver's metro area.

Lakewood got an unexpected birthday gift this year — it was one of 10 cities selected as a finalist for the international Cities of Service Engaged Cities Award. The award highlights cities that have high, effective citizen engagement. Cities of Service received more than one hundred applications for the award from cities in the Americas and Europe.

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The Lakewood Mayor's Office is also calling on residents to submit their nominations for the Mayor's Inspiration Award, which acknowledges people who've made a significant impact in the Lakewood community. Nominations will be open until July 1. The award will be presented in multiple categories: the youth award (under 18), the individual award (over 18), the organization award and in memoriam award.

There are also plenty of other ways to celebrate Lakewood's 50th anniversary:

• Enter the I love Lakewood photo contest and win prizes.
• Send a message to the future through Lakewood's 50th Anniversary digital time capsule
• Discover Lakewood's historic sites through a scavenger hunt (and win prizes)
• Learn about Lakewood's history
• See what's trending and join the conversation using #Lakewood50