Invitations to charity fundraisers seem to arrive by the truckload this time of year, and no matter how pretty or elegant they are, after a while all the gilding and engraving start to look alike.
Knowing that too many bids wind up in the circular file, often unopened, the young and creative souls behind a date auction for newgenesis decided that bold was the way to go.
Newgenesis is a transitional community for homeless individuals willing to do something about getting their lives back on track. Instead of sugarcoating the issue of homelessness, the agency used just two words – “panhandling sucks” – scribbled in Magic Marker on a scrap of corrugated paper to make sure this would be one invite that would command attention.
The benefit, Eight Is Enough, begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Mile High Station. Dates with four bachelors and an equal number of bachelorettes will be up for bid; the outings will include a Nuggets game, a dinner for two in the D&F Tower and two out-of-town packages supplied by Frontier Airlines and W Hotels. There will be food from Baldoria, an open bar and décor by DesignWorks.
Tickets range from $25 (for those between the ages of 21 and 30) to $200 (four admissions with VIP lounge seating) and can be reserved by visiting blacktie-colo rado.com/rsvp and using the event code “8isenough.”
Recently, event patrons were feted at a cocktail party held at the Lookout Mountain home of Scott Coors and Dr. Dave Hurt. The hosts are chairing Eight Is Enough with Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Donna Crafton and Bradley Joseph, Andrea and Phillip Gray, and Holly and Rich Kylberg. Dan Brown and Brent Schneider, founders of Spire Financial, are chairing the ticket committee; Kasia Iwaniczko of Qwest Communications heads the corporate sales effort; and Vic Lombardi and Patricia Lopez from media sponsor CBS4 will emcee.
Committee members Jordan Bullock and Peter Tenfjord were on hand for the festivities, as were three of those who have bravely volunteered to be auctioned off: Billy Seiber, Benjamin King and Ashley McGhee.
Executive director Page Perry founded newgenesis 20 years ago and was at the party with his wife, Susan, and board members Mike Meyrick, Geoff Morris, Ray Lalone and Rick Johnson. Newgenesis serves homeless men and women who are expected to remain substance-free and hold full-time jobs during their stay.
Tickets for the benefit can be purchased by calling Donna Crafton at 720-318-1581.
:Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
