A new year has begun for the Girls Inc. Alliance. The 200 who met at Chris and Tammy Marsico’s Cherry Hills Village home Thursday for the annual Membership & Margaritas bash recognize that while Jimmy Buffett’s ode to the carefree life is a great song – musicians Ron Jolly and Dave Kimball from Moment’s Notice Entertainment did a fine rendition – it takes a clear head to plan the high-profile fundraisers for which this group is known.
The alliance’s signature event is Girls & Guys Night Out, a dinner and comedy show that has starred such well-known funny folk as Dana Carvey, Jeff Foxworthy, Kathleen Madigan and Rita Rudner. Carvey will be back this year, according to co-chairs Susan Blake-
Smith and Nanette Fishman. His popularity prompted the return engagement, scheduled Nov. 11 at the new Hyatt Regency Denver.
In addition to Girls & Guys Night Out, the alliance also raises money via The Journey. The annual luncheon and lecture is March 3 with cycling champ Lance Armstrong’s mother, author Linda Armstrong Kelly, as the featured speaker. Co-chairs Caroline Baker and Hollie Lubchenco announced that tickets are on sale for $75 and $125; the higher-priced admission includes an invitation for two to the March 2 patron reception at Tiffany & Co. Cherry Creek, where Kelly will have an autographed copy of her book for each couple attending.
Faye Gardenswartz, who helped the hostess coordinate the 4 p.m. fete, noted that when musician Kimball read (in this column, no less) that the price of admission to Membership & Margaritas was a donation for the alliance’s school-supply drive, he filled a backpack with pens, pencils, writing tablets and more to deposit in the bins that had been set out at the valet parking station in the Marsico driveway.
The immediate past presidents, Jenny Austin and Robyn Roggensack, were there to congratulate their successors, Hillary Adams and Melinda Dark. And the two who will lead the alliance in 2007 – Hilary Johnson and Karen Wheeler – were no doubt using the occasion as a learning experience.
Jamie Angelich brought her friend, Michelle Marchildon, while alliance secretary Bobbin Holtvluwer was waiting for her Land Title colleague Rickie Jones, a past president now serving as a board adviser with Barb Ingalls and Kelly Millen.
Others enjoying the Marsico hospitality were Cydney Marsico; Karen Valdez; Sue Bergen; Jill Pedicord Peterson; Tonya Montgomery; Jennifer Waters; Andrea Bailey; Denise McClard; Dawn Patterson; Kim Monson; Dee Dee Parker; Margaret Stavros; Marilyn Carroll; Kathy Schmidt; Nancy Sharpe; Julie Kucera; Lyn Schaffer; Debbie Gradishar; Cindy Straughan; Sheila Zinn; Brooke Parker; Cindy Schulz; Dr. Steven Federico, chairman of the Girls, Inc. board; and Colleen Colarelli, the agency’s president and chief executive.
Since its start 11 years ago, the alliance has raised over $1 million for Girls Inc. of Metro Denver. There were 390 members in 2005; the goal is to top 400 in 2006. Additional information about the alliance is available from Emmy Glancy, 303-893-4363, ext. 109.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
