Colorado

Faith, Philanthropy, and Fitness

Religious beliefs lend themselves to even more important social networks within the state of Colorado. Christianity is the most popular religion in Colorado, with the majority of the state's Christians identifying themselves as Protestants, followed by Roman Catholics. The headquarters of several evangelical Christian groups are located within Colorado, specifically Colorado Springs and its surrounding areas, including Focus on the Family, the Navigators, the Way-FM Radio Network, and Young Life. This collection of evangelical organizations allows this relatively small religion-based social network a great deal of influence in the area.

Colorado is also the home base of numerous major philanthropic, grant-giving organizations, such as the Daniels Fund and the Gates Family Foundation. These social networks exist to provide grants, college scholarships, and other benefits to those less fortunate in the Colorado area and beyond.

Inhabitants of the state of Colorado have a deserved reputation for being particularly health conscious, leading to a series of health-based social networks throughout the state. Colorado was determined to be the “fittest state in the nation” by an annual report produced by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The ranking was determined by which state had the lowest number of obese individuals. Colorado's geography allows for the creation of various social networks of bikers, joggers, fisherman, and other outdoor enthusiasts, who tend to maintain a high level of fitness and health.

Similarly, Colorado's status as one of the mountain states, with most of the Rocky Mountains within its borders, not only gives the state its reputation for breathtaking geography but also allows skiing-based tourism to flourish, another example of a social network. The state is home to dozens of ski areas and resorts, which attract individuals passionate about skiing from all over the country. The geographic features of the state have given rise to several other emergent social networks for climbing, biking, and snowboarding. Such self-emergent networks are often facilitated by dedicated social networking Internet sites that create links and bridges between interested residents and vacationers.

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