BOULDER - The Elevations Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Boulder-based Elevations Credit Union, presented a check Aug. 14 for $36,312.59 to the Long Term Recovery Group of Northern Colorado to help provide temporary housing for people displaced by the High Park fire.

The Long Term Recovery Group of Northern Colorado is a consortium of county, faith-based and nonprofit organizations that was assembled to aid in fire relief. The 87,284-acre High Park fire, which started June 9 in the mountains northwest of Fort Collins, killed one person and destroyed 259 homes.

Elevations Credit Union has 12 branches, mostly in Boulder and Broomfield counties. Although its northernmost branch office is in Loveland, many of its members - as well as family members and friends of its employees - were affected directly by the fire.

The fund was launched June 16 with a $10,000 challenge grant from the foundation. The rest was contributed by Elevations' members and business partners during the fundraising period that ended July 6. United Way of Larimer County and the Fort Collins Housing Authority helped the foundation steer the money into the right hands.

"As the tragedy of the High Park Fire unfolded, it became clear to us that we needed to mobilize and establish a fire relief fund for our neighbors to the north," said Dennis Paul, vice chairman of the foundation, in a press statement. "Getting victims into a stable environment where they can begin to look to the future is critically important."