By Bob McDonnell

The Surveyor

Adwyn Lim, an avid horse lover, shows the art piece embroidered by his aunt in China to commemorate his interest in horses.

Most of us who transplanted to Colorado have a story of how we arrived here. Berthoud resident Adwyn Lim picked his choice out of a hat. Lim was born and raised in Detroit. He liked nature and backpacking, which were not readily available in the Motor City. He wanted to live elsewhere.

In 1973 Lim put three slips of paper in a hat. They contained the locations of Bozeman, Mont., Moscow, Idaho, and Boulder, Colo. Boulder was the winner. The then 23-year-old had never been west of the Mississippi River. Lim calls it a “great adventure.”

Lim’s education at the time included a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State in Detroit. He studied art history and mathematics. While in Boulder he earned a master’s degree from the University of Colorado in education.

“My two passions are probably horses and music,” Lim said. Anyone who talks with the friendly man will figure this out in about five minutes, even if he does not say it.

On the music side of his life, Lim lists piano, violin, viola, cello, guitar and banjo among the instruments he can play.

Lim is proud to be part of a 2014 documentary film titled “Carry the Tune,” which took place in Colorado. Speaking of the filmmaker, Lim says, “He selected people who were not professional musicians but music was much of their life.” The director wanted to share these people’s stories with the public. The film won an award at the San Francisco Music Festival, according to Lim.

The www.carrythetune.com website says music educators and researchers estimate 75 percent or more of high school music students will quit their music studies after high school. The filmmakers came to Lim’s Berthoud farm to video and interview him. The documentary shares stories of people — like Lim — who have discovered how continuing in music provides a vital sense of balance in their lives.

The love of horses is what got Lim from Boulder to Berthoud. He moved to his current farm in 2001. One of his first tasks was to design and build a large barn on the property for his horses.

At one point, Lim had three horses. Before arriving in Berthoud and having his own place he boarded them in Longmont and Boulder. Currently, he doesn’t have horses, but he predicts he will have at least another one in the future.

When not dealing with horses or playing music Lim helps out at some local nonprofits. He credits his parents with instilling the need to help people. “My parents, being Chinese, it is very important to help the elderly,” Lim said. Growing up, his parents encouraged Lim and his siblings to help in their community. It was a way of life our parents taught us,” he remembers. His parents instilled in him the idea you do not have to be paid to help others.

Lim is a past board member of the Loveland-Berthoud Meals on Wheels (MOW) program. Delivering for MOW started when Lim lived in Boulder, so he continued with the local MOW.

Every Monday Lim delivers meals. This entails driving the more than nine miles to the Loveland MOW kitchen, loading up, driving to Berthoud, delivering meals, then going back to Loveland to return the MOW Styrofoam containers. Finally, he can head back to his Berthoud home. If that was not enough, he also subs for other MOW drivers when they have other commitments. Last Thanksgiving week Lim delivered meals every day.

Local people needing transportation may see Lim in his role as a volunteer driver for Berthoud Rural Alternative for Transportation (RAFT). He enjoys the flexibility of their schedule. He likes that RAFT helps all ages if they have a need.

The former software engineer uses his skills to help some elderly people with their computer needs. Word of mouth has increased this part of his volunteer life.

Not satisfied that all this helping is enough, Lim may volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He did that when he was a Boulder resident.

Lim’s volunteering overlaps with his love for music too. He has joined an international music board — The Associated Chamber Music Players (ACMP). Being a world-wide organization, meetings are routinely held via conference calls. Although this cuts down on travel time, it may require Lim to be available for phone meetings at odd hours. It helps that Lim is fluent in Chinese and French, also.

ACMP has endowments to assist start-up chamber music groups. A side benefit, for Lim is a new network of musicians. When on vacations Lim connects with other ACMP members. This has allowed him to join in and play music with friends in Asia and Europe in addition to United States and locally in a string quartet, piano quartet and a string trio.

The energetic Lim hosts chamber music sessions at his Berthoud home. He also plays from Fort Collins to southern Denver with many events to raise funds for nonprofits.

For 12 years Lim held concerts at the barn on his property. He built it so the acoustics were right for music. Past events have raised money for Colorado Horse Rescue Colorado State University-based Human Animal Bond in Colorado, Homelessness Preventative Initiative, and a regional cancer organization

“This is the perfect spot to be,” Lim said as he spoke of Berthoud. He likes that the town is near many cultural centers. And it’s a pretty good guess he will not be putting names in a hat for a new place to relocate anytime soon.