Not to take anything away from the generous folks who donate art, automobiles, restaurant meals, salon services, golf getaways and such to the hundreds of charity auctions held every month along the Front Range.
Patrons eagerly snap them up, and the money generated makes a huge difference in an event’s profitability.
That said, two benefits taking place over the next several days are setting a new standard in the auction department.
On Saturday night, guests at Triumph Over Challenge, a benefit staged by the Denver Health Foundation, will have the chance to bid on:
• Dinner for 16 at Morton’s DTC with Clint Hurdle, manager of the Colorado Rockies; Dan Issel, formerly of the Denver Nuggets; Mike Shanahan, head coach of the Denver Broncos; and Joel Quenneville, head coach of the Colorado Avalanche;
• A trip for four to New York for the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes with Dan and Cheri Issel. The package also includes hotel, car service and theater tickets;
• The opportunity for a parent and one girl between the ages of 8 and 18 to be a Broncos cheerleader for a day, The winners of this package will attend a pre-game rehearsal, enjoy lunch with the cheerleaders, have their hair done by the cheerleaders’ official hairdresser, and view the game from the sideline at Invesco Field; and
• Every golfer’s fantasy: a visit to St. Andrews in Scotland.
Aviation buffs — or anyone who enjoys a thrill — will want to be at The Arthritis Foundation’s Evening of Honors, when a ride in Carl Williams’ 1929 Eaglerock open cockpit airplane will be up for bid. Williams and his wife, Lisa, are to be honored at the April 17 dinner held at the Marriott City Center, along with 9News morning anchor Gregg Moss.
Though Carl Williams is a licensed pilot, he won’t be at the controls when the winning bidder takes his or her flight. That honor goes to Eric Baldwin, who takes the historic aircraft on frequent runs and keeps it maintained to strict FAA standards.
The plane (see pictures of it at ) was made famous by barnstormers in the 1920s, and ’30s who landed in rural farm fields and sold rides for 50 cents to anyone brave enough to climb aboard.
Only 24 of these planes are believed to exist; another, a 1930 model also belonging to Williams, hangs near Gate B22 at Denver International Airport.
A page from the past.
Before it was Raccoon Creek Golf Club, a huge parcel of land along West Bowles Avenue in Littleton was where the Grant family settled and raised the children, who went on to become legislators, civic leaders, artists and other important members of Colorado society.
Recently, Judy and Newell Grant hosted Chapter Three of Tables of Content, a book-themed fundraiser for the University of Denver’s Humanities Institute. Their guests gathered in the historic horse barn that remains intact on the golf club grounds to be entertained by Greeley native Gary McMahan.
McMahan’s fans describe him as a “walking page of American history,” although he says he’s more of a “general nuisance.” He held everyone’s attention by reciting cowboy poetry, telling jokes with a Western twist and performing songs that captured the Western spirit.
