There was no need to light a fire under the new Young Professionals Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado; its members decided to dive right in and raise some money by hosting the 2008 Polar Plunge at Boulder Reservoir.
It was the 25th anniversary of this New Year’s Day classic and the first year proceeds have gone to Alzheimer’s research and education. YPAAC succeeds the Longmont Humane Society as the host charity, and raised $15,000 through registration fees, sponsorships and commemorative T-shirt sales.
Organizers included Seth Barnhill; Matt Wagner of Carmichael Lynch Sprong; and Katie Shoppman of Wells Fargo. Barnhill is chairman of the YPAAC board and the son of Alzheimer’s Association chairwoman Susan Barnhill.
Shoppman’s fiancé, Nate Rollyson of Spa Brokers, arranged for several warming tubs, in which plungers could revive after exiting the 38-degree water.
Another popular attraction was an Alzheimer’s Memory Wall where plungers could post the names of family members or friends touched by this incurable disease.
Other YPAAC board members helping put on the event were Jeanne Panuczak, Alexis Oterman, Sean McNicholas, Brian Troccoli, Jessica Troccoli and Mandy Melby.
Another group formed
The Kaleidoscope Project, formed to launch programs to increase the number of volunteer leaders in Denver’s African-American community, held its first event, a smoke-free Kwanzaa celebration at Cableland.
Nita Mosby Henry of New Basics Consulting is the power behind the project. She says that future programs will focus on “healthy living, from a psychological, spiritual, educational and participatory standpoint.”
Members of Colorado’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population were encouraged to take part in the smoke-free Kwanzaa. “The GLBT population has a higher tobacco-use rate than the population at large,” Henry says. “Smoke-free GLBT programs will be one of Kaleidoscope’s largest focus areas.”
Community leaders among the 150 guests included Lauren Casteel, a vice president with the Denver Foundation; Katherine Peck, chief operating officer of the Gill Foundation; Cathy Phelps, executive director of the Denver Center for Crime Victims; Jill McFadden, executive director of the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program; Urban Spectrum publisher Rosalind “Bee” Harris; the Rev. James Fouther, pastor of United Church of Montbello; and Kaiser Permanente exec Kenneth Johnson.
“The way in which we have looked at ‘healthy living’ in the past has sometimes fallen short of addressing areas like increasing our education and leadership, giving back to the community in substantive ways, and working in teams to become more physically and mentally healthy,” Henry notes. “The Kaleidoscope Project is my dream come true. I am excited about broadening our sense and definition of what healthy living really is, and am honored that I am able to provide valuable services and initiatives here in Colorado.”
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denver ; also, blogs.denverpost
