The words “thank you,” no matter how sincerely spoken, cannot even begin to pay down the debt owed to the soldiers who defended our freedom in World War II and other military actions past and present.
“The sad irony is,” says Tim Davis, “while we’re enjoying the freedom they fought to give us, they aren’t fully free themselves. They carry the pain and sacrifices of war forever.” Davis, who is Australian, started The Greatest Generations Foundation to help veterans gain a sense of personal freedom by sending them, expenses paid, to visit their former battlefields and meet the people they helped liberate.
Recently, Davis was at the Wellshire Inn to preside at a reception at which the foundation’s new executive director, Elizabeth Byrnes Crony, was introduced. She comes to the post from Blacktie-
Colorado, a website that promotes and covers charitable fundraising events. The reception was attended by Colorado first lady Frances Owens, a host of veterans and numerous community leaders interested in supporting the foundation.
KOA Radio’s Steffan Tubbs was master of ceremonies, and introduced Ed Tipper, a World War II D-Day veteran featured in the HBO film “Band of Brothers”; Robert Lowe, who fought in the Pacific Theater of WWII and appears in the upcoming HBO film “The Pacific War”; and
Colorado resident Elmer “Lucky” McGinty, who flew 29 missions over Europe in a B-17.
Additional information on the foundation can be viewed at thegreatestgenerations.org.
This and that
Larimer Square merchants participating in Hot August Nights, the Aug. 17 awards dinner and fashion show that KC and Kristina Veio are chairing for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America – Eve, John Atencio, Mariel, Octane/
Premium 93, Square 1 and Violet – also are hosting the event’s patron party. It’s 6-8 p.m. Thursday and it sounds like quite a blowout, with shopping, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and an after-party at Martini Ranch. Call 303-685-8128.
On Saturday, the Minnesota band Catchpenny headlines Rocking for Research, a dinner and concert at Denver’s Hard Rock Cafe that will raise money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research, including that conducted at the University of Colorado laboratory headed by Dr. Brian Tseng. Dinner tickets are $100 and can be purchased at cureduchenne.org. Concert-only tickets are $5 and are available on a first-come basis at the door. Special guests will include former Denver Bronco Ed McCaffrey and Cherry Creek High School seniors Lalith Polepeddi and Mike Polmear, otherwise known as The Whiz Kids, who are working with Tseng to develop an effective treatment that will strengthen cell membranes. Sally Rock and Dale Goin, whose Philadelphia Filly sandwich cart is a familiar sight on the 16th Street Mall, are the grandparents of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients and are helping to organize Saturday’s benefit.
Baseball legend Brooks Robinson is the celebrity participant in the 2006 Legends Golf Tournament presented by Re/Max International as a benefit for Volunteers of America. Play is Aug. 16 at the private Sanctuary course near Sedalia; a Players Party, hosted by Wells Fargo Bank, begins at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Denver ChopHouse. Susan and Leo Kiely are the event chairs; Carl Barnhill is the tournament chairman and tournament coordinator Denise Robert can be contacted for details at 303-368-5208.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
