A lot of credit goes to the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, specifically for a particular event that the group puts on every summer called Everybody Welcome: A Celebration of Culture and Diversity.

Morgan Wilfahrt, a student at Palmer High School says "I definitely think it's diverse." But others don't think Colorado Springs is diverse enough. "I don't know how diverse Colorado Springs is. And the looks I get since I've been here have not been favorable to one that would lead me to believe that Colorado Springs is diverse and used to seeing a multi-cultural people in this area," says Frederick Bryant.

Some feel a natural disaster a few years ago had a big impact on the diversity of Colorado Springs. "A lot of people moved here after Katrina so that brought a lot of people Louisiana and that area here," says Wilfahrt. She is part of the Gay Straight Alliance Club at her school. She and Andrea Bryant, whose husband is African-American, hope this award will help bring even more diversity to our area. "I'm excited about it. I think it will be something that will encourage the people to make it more diverse," says Andrea Bryant.

The National League of Cities also honored three other cities with the award. Those other cities include Enterprise, Alabama, Woodridge, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The award will be presented to Colorado Springs City Council on March 23, 2010. The annual Everybody Welcome event will be held in Colorado Springs from August 7-15, 2010.