Donor Stories
Shelly and Rafael Colón Memorial Fund
Each of us is shaped by the neighborhood, town or community in which we were raised.
Community goes beyond geography. It involves people talking, working and playing together, actively communicating with and caring about one another. Los Lunas and Bosque Farms, the small communities in which Brian Colón was raised, influenced his entire life.
Brian's parents, Shelly and Rafael Colón, left New York in the early 1970’s to begin a new life in the southwest. Not long after settling in Los Lunas, Rafael was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, which prohibited him from holding a traditional job.
The couple found an alternate source of income that would change their lives. Together they opened the S & R Flea Market in Bosque Farms, which soon became the community center of the little town. Neighbors gathered every weekend not just to sell their unwanted possessions but also to talk, to laugh and to enjoy their tiny community. Politicians came to shake hands and earn votes. Residents felt secure and connected.
Materially, the Colóns had very little. However, they managed to find a way to give back. Shelly and Rafael extended help to their neighbors and improved the quality of life in Bosque Farms. The Colóns were instrumental in founding the Bosque Farms Business Association and even fought for an I-25 exit sign for their small community.
As a 10-year-old, life was bittersweet for Brian. He enjoyed seeing his parents happy and central to his community, but the opportunity to play football or soccer like other kids on Saturday mornings evaded him; Brian was busy renting tables, selling items and emptying trash at a weekend flea market. When Brian was a senior at Los Lunas High School, the doctors determined that the altitude was causing Rafael's muscular dystrophy to progress more rapidly, and the family decided to move to Florida.
Brian was committed to staying in New Mexico and attending New Mexico State University. He stayed behind, and his family went on to Florida. With the help of wonderful people in the community, Brian quickly made up for the lost weekends of his childhood. He became actively involved in student government and soon set his sights on college and ultimately law school.
In 1989, Brian's father succumbed to muscular dystrophy at the age of 49 - long before his son graduated from NMSU and UNM. Today, Brian, a partner at Robles, Rael & Anaya, P.C. and Chairman of the Democratic Party of NM, and his wife Aleli, an educator, have a son of their own, Rafael, who spends his weekends playing soccer and football. Brian teaches Rafael to be thankful for what he has and to always look for a way to give back. Brian tries to convey the message that it is critical to live a life of service and gratitude and does his best to set an example for his son.
In 2006, Brian again lost a parent to an untimely death. Shelly Colón died of medical complications at 63. In his parents’ honor, Brian established the Shelly and Rafael Colón Memorial Fund at the Albuquerque Community Foundation. Small and large gifts have poured in to honor Brian’s love for his parents.
Soon Brian will award grants in their names, perpetuating his Mom and Dad's belief that no matter what you have, you can always find a way to give back.
