No one would have blamed Janet Elway if she’d made like Sally Field at the Academy Awards and gushed: “You like me. You really like me!” at the Campy Couture cocktail party and fashion show held as a prelude to her June 24 Janet’s Camp fundraiser for the YMCA.
But she didn’t, and that was OK too because it was a given that everyone at this Saks Fifth Avenue soiree was on her side, ready to shower her with hugs and support as she re-enters the world of charitable fundraising. She’d put life in the spotlight on hold while she adjusted to life as a single mom following a highly publicized divorce from football legend John Elway.
She agreed to be the face of Janet’s Camp at the urging of longtime friend Jean Galloway. “I was still licking my wounds and not really interested in getting involved with anything” when Galloway approached, Elway said. “But how do you say no to Jean?”
The goal of Janet’s Camp, to be held at Elway’s Cherry Hills home, is to raise enough money to send 250 children from low-income families to YMCA summer camp.
Several of Janet’s high-profile friends – including Mike and Peggy Shanahan, John and Lisa Lynch and Ed and Lisa McCaffrey, all tied to the Broncos; golfer David Duval and his wife, Susie, and Colorado Mammoth coach Gary Gait and his wife, Nicole – modeled outfits from Saks that would be ideal choices for the benefit.
Not all of the “good stuff” happened on the runway, though. Mixing and mingling with the 100-plus guests we learned:
Josh Hanfling has many fingers in the Janet’s Camp pie, so to speak. He’s on the Camp Counselor Steering Committee with David Alexander, Jamie Angelich, Lisa Herzlich, Dianne Honig, Kimball Howell, Beth Jackman and Betsy Wills; Qube Visual, the company that he founded, is printing the promotional posters; and at Campy Couture he delighted in pointing out that the fancy belt buckle he was wearing had been designed by San Francisco’s Lisa Mackey, whose jewelry accessorized many of the Campy Couture ensembles. Turns out Mackey’s a good friend and stayed with him during her Denver visit.
Plenty of Janet’s friends from the news media were there to support her: CBS 4’s Marcia Neville and Stephanie Riggs, and Kim Christiansen and Susie Wargin of 9News, to name a few. Former anchor Aimee Sporer Caplis’ early departure cost her the evening’s grand prize: a two-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch. The winner had to be present, said the hotel’s director of leisure, Nathan Boyd, so when it was discovered that Caplis had left to drive in a carpool, another ticket was drawn. It belonged to Peggy Shanahan.
Wells Fargo Bank is the presenting sponsor for Janet’s Camp, and regional president Tom Honig said he could not be happier. “What I like about this event is it’s fresh and new and sure to be a great success.”
Other happy campers welcomed by store manager Kay Cline were the YMCA’s new CEO, Jim Hiner, and his wife, Angie; Cherry Creek North spokeswoman Christina Brickley; Rose Community Foundation President Sheila Bugdanowitz with her husband, Rick, owner of LaNouvelle Fine Cleaners, and the company’s new director of client services, Kael Robinson; Lynne Hamstra; Deb Smith; Roselyn Saunders; Kim Morrill; Gail Johnson; Jane Netzorg; Julie Kucera; Andrea Bankoff; Debbie Gradishar; Jan Top; Carol Roddy; Scottie Iverson; Christina Brickley; and Andi Smith, who was telling friends she’s now a Realtor and that her Andi Smith Fine Homes is part of Prudential Colorado Real Estate/Leetsdale.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
