Seven years ago today under an overcast sky, I walked with seven colleagues onto Denver’s Civic Center park to do something our group of experienced journalists had never done before: Hold our own news conference.

Amid very familiar surroundings (a certain newspaper building loomed behind us), we stepped into uncharted territory with excitement, anxiety and determination. We worried about whether we would get rained out. We wondered whether anyone would show up. We tried to remember the words we had prepared. We unfurled our shiny new banner and steadied our nerves.

The clouds parted, and we announced the creation of The Colorado Sun. Actually, the news broke first the day before on the front page of the Sunday New York Times, but this was our opportunity to speak directly to our fellow Coloradans. And there we were, explaining why we left The Denver Post and created The Sun.

Those reasons still resonate today: News is a public good, and everyone deserves access to information, whether they can afford to pay for it or not. Coloradans need more than hedge funds are willing to provide. We promised in-depth, statewide coverage with no paywall to keep readers out.

The crisis in local news has only deepened over the past seven years. Legacy newspapers, including many in Colorado, have closed. Cutbacks and layoffs have continued, as have attacks by public officials. Rather than standing by, watching in dismay or participating in those cuts, we decided to take a chance and create a new model for quality local news coverage. Our new model depended on proving our worth to our fellow Coloradans.

In our first months, we had a lot to learn about creating a sustainable news operation, but our audience spoke up loud and clear. You and other readers showed up with your ideas, feedback and support. Today, The Sun has more than 15,000 members and donors, nearly 1 million users to our website each month and more than 110,000 newsletter subscribers. The Sun has become a national model for other digital startups, and we even merited our own chapter in a book, “What Works in Community News.”

By the time coloradosun.com went live on Sept. 10, 2018, our full-time staff numbered 10. Today, our nonprofit has a staff of 24 and is growing, thanks to the support of members, donors and others who have joined our Sun community.

Much has changed in the past seven years, but our commitment to serving you, our readers, has not. 

Unlike for-profit media, we don’t have shareholders — we answer to our reader community, who believe in a better-informed Colorado. If you share that belief, become a member today. Just $5 a month can help drive our reporting around the state. And if you’re already a member, thank you.

Every dollar you give helps our journalists continue reporting from the statehouse, exposing corruption, spotlighting solutions and telling the stories of real Coloradans.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again here today: We are stronger together. Thanks, Colorado.