Just because it’s the holiday season, don’t think for a minute that civic-minded Denverites have taken a break from all the goings and doings. Here’s what several of them have been up to:
Businessman-philanthropist Larry Mizel traveled to Italy with a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center to meet with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. There, they praised the pontiff for his continuing efforts to strengthen bonds between the Catholic and Jewish faiths, and for his leadership in speaking out against religious extremism. Mizel chairs the Simon Wiesenthal Center board and along with Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Los Angeles-based center’s founder and dean, presented the pope with a rendering of the Center for Human Dignity, which the Simon Wiesenthal Center is building in Jerusalem.
Wells Fargo Bank Senior vice president Pat Cortez, along with KBNO Radio’s Zee Ferrufino and NEWSED executives Veronica Barela and Leroy Lemos, hosted a reception to congratulate Theresa Peña on her election as president of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. A welcome also was extended to the district’s new chief academic officer, Jaime Aquino. About 100 people were there to offer their best wishes, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet and Bruce Benson, a member of the Denver Public Schools Foundation.
The mayor also dropped in at a reception to celebrate the success of recent fund- and awareness-raising events hosted by Friends of Warren Village. After thanking Kevin and Mary McNicholas for opening their home for the get-together, FWV presidents Susan Jenkins and Joanne York introduced the mayor, who lauded the Denver nonprofit for its work in promoting personal and economic self-sufficiency for single-parent families. He described Warren Village as both a “success story and example” for his administration’s efforts in combatting homelessness.
“Warren Village and Friends of Warren Village are important partners in Denver’s 10-
year Plan to End Homelessness,” Hickenlooper said. “Our goal is to make homelessness something we read about (only) in history books.” The reception raised $8,500 in membership dues, adding to the $2,000 raised on Sept. 8 when the MAX boutique in Cherry Creek North donated a percentage of sales to Warren Village and the $1,000 made at an Oct. 17 function at Mel’s Bar and Grill.
The Owl Club, one of Denver’s oldest organizations for African-American men, has begun planning its 55th annual Debutante Ball, to take place June 3. Prospective debs, says member Eric Mosley, a captain with United Airlines, must be seniors in high school with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average. They also must be of high moral character and have made significant contributions to their schools, churches and communities. Applications will be available from school counselors after Jan. 9, and selection committee interviews will be conducted in the spring.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
