12 OCTOBER 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
Middletown Native Takes
Philanthropic Spirit to Colorado
BY SHANNA O’MARA
WHERE
ARE THEY
NOW?
Monmouth County has bred many amazing
young people, many of whom have grown
up and stayed close to home, giving back
through impactful careers and charitable work.
Many others have since left their hometowns to pursue
their dreams and improve communities elsewhere.
Kristin Ialeggio was raised in Middletown
and moved to Colorado as an adult, taking with her
memories of the Jersey Shore, hopes to start a business
and the mission to help others.
Ialeggio attended Nut Swamp Elementary
School, Thompson Middle School and Middletown
High School South. She played softball in high
school and at the collegiate level when she went to
the University of Virginia. After graduation, she set
her sights on Vail, Colorado and moved across the
country to become a ski instructor. There, she met
her husband, Kevin Holbrook, who had also migrated
from the East Coast.
“He grew up in Massachusetts,” Kristin Holbrook,
as she is now known, said. “We decided to move to Telluride
about 20 years ago. It’s a resort town. Only 2,500 people live here full
In March 2001, Holbrook opened Two Skirts, an upscale boutique specializing
in a wide array of denim and cashmere as well as cocktail dresses
and special occasion pieces. Now the mother of two boys, 14-year-old
“I have loved it and raised it,” she gushed. “I did the work with my
own two hands. I handle the merchandise, work with the customers, do
the social media – everything.”
It is through social media that this savvy store owner found a
way to give back to her
community when the
pandemic struck this
spring. The Colorado
shop was forced to close
its doors, but its online
presence remained as
active as ever. Holbrook
saw a need in her community
and used her
platform to help.
“In a resort town,
selling seasons are
short and we rely on
tourism, so closing mid-
March seemed devastating,”
she said. “Within
-
ing from home, I had
an idea that would potentially support the local healthcare workers and
help sell merchandise while the store was closed. It seemed like a winwin.
I had a Telluride product to sell and a Telluride cause to support.”
Holbrook began selling sweaters featuring the town’s name and
promoting her fundraising mission on Instagram. She contacted Kate
Wadley, Telluride Medical Center’s director of philanthropy, who helped
get a campaign off the ground. For weeks, Holbrook met her audience
with messages of unity and hope, all while offering high-quality clothing
and accessories. She sold Telluride sweaters and hats, donating 10
percent of the proceeds to the Telluride Medical Center. As of mid-August,
she had donated $10,000 to the facility.
“I learned from my mom,” Holbrook said sweetly. “She always
taught me to give to those who need help. In this town, it’s a lot of people
with money, people who have second homes. There are 100 non-
And Holbrook is involved with many. She was on the Board of Directors
of the San Miguel Resource Center, through which she raised
funds for child victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She is a
for the Telluride Education Foundation since her sons were little. She
was named Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Telluride Foundation
in 2014. In 2019, Two Skirts gave more than $50,000 in merchandise
Holbrook says she is lucky to call Telluride home and only wants to
serve the community that welcomed her so warmly back in 2001.
“I love the mountains and the scenery,” she said. “I love it here, but
of course, I miss my family. I’m glad my parents still live in Middletown
so my kids can see the Jersey Shore and New York City.”
And when they’re far from the coast, they still get to see the waves
of impact their mom has on those around her.
/TheJournalNJ.com