He has been to more fundraising galas than most people attend in a lifetime. Yet it wasn’t until Dave Weisberg became president of the Cancer League of Colorado that he realized how much work they entail.
“Until you work on a benefit such as Elpitha: A Greek Festival of Hope, it is hard to appreciate all the effort that goes into making it successful,” Weisberg said of the dinner, auction and show that, coupled with several smaller benefits held during his term, will enable the league to give out about $400,000 in research and service grants this year. Weisberg’s wife, Glory, is society editor of The Villager newspapers.
Elpitha: A Greek Festival of Hope was chaired by Kaye Music, Barb Reece and Jane Hampe; entertainment was by former Temptations lead singer Richard Street. Chrysler was the presenting sponsor, and Front Range Chrysler Jeep dealers, organized by Dealin’ Doug Moreland and his wife, Candi, turned out in force.
The co-chairs are veterans of the Junior Symphony Guild Showhouse planning committee, and were so well-organized that two of them (Music and Reece) had time to vacation in Mexico right before the actual event.
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The effort that went into turning the Hyatt Regency Tech Center into an authentic Greek village passed muster with Jack and Adrienne Fitzgibbons, who’d spent their honeymoon cruising the Greek Isles.
Dr. Larry Spivack picked up the tab for the handsome invitations that featured a painting by Kathryn Dawson on the cover. Spivack and his wife, Patty, also hosted a table at the gala, filling it with such friends as Jay and Kristina Davidson, Dave and Ruth Pfoff, Mark and Karen Woodworth and the Steve Leveys. The Davidsons showed further support by buying a corporate table in the name of their First American State Bank.
Lockheed Martin paid for the commemorative programs that each guest received and sent Suzanne Beggs, Linda and Pat Brisnehan, Russell Densmore and Laryssa Sharvan-
Densmore, Michael and Jill Gass, Eric and Carol Hansen, and Don Wollenhaupt to the gala. Carol Hansen is a past president of CLC and her Tatonka Capital underwrote the benefit’s postage and mailing expenses.
Other past presidents at the gala included Hansen’s mom, Denise Shumaker Foat, Edie Marks (who chaired the corporate committee with attorney Ellen Stewart), Suzy Thevenet, Janet Hanna, Marsha Richardson Lunnon, Dale Apel, Fleta Johnsen Marty Chance Gathers, and Jane Mayberry.
Carl and Lisa Williams invited Ted and Cindy Halaby, Peter and Betsy Luce, Walt and Georgia Imhoff, and Leo and Linda Goto to sit at their table while Pete and Marilyn Coors donated their table so that special guests of the league, including artist Nikolo Balkanski and auctioneer Joe Priddy, could enjoy the festivities.
Society editor Joanne Davidson
can be reached at 303-820-1314 or
More online: Additional pictures from the Cancer League Spring Benefit, denverpost.com
