If that doesn’t take the cake: There he was, the otherwise unflappable Elliot Engel, amusing and educating guests at the Full Circle Gala with remarks on “The History and Mystery of Wine,” when he suddenly stopped talking and did a double-take.
A server had entered the University Club dining room bearing a cake shaped and decorated like an open book. It was Engel’s birthday, and while he may have thought no one knew, someone obviously did.
That someone would be Jean Hodges, president of both THINK360 Arts Complete Education and Town Hall Denver. Engel, thanks to a style that is scholarly and entertaining, is the most popular speaker in Town Hall history; the author and former college professor has returned by popular request for about a decade to delight audiences with witty and insightful presentations on historical figures ranging from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde.
The Full Circle Gala, which Hodges chaired, was the first fundraiser for THINK360 Arts Complete Education, Colorado’s leading arts-in-education organization.
It was formed after the Colorado Alliance for Arts Education merged with Young Audiences of Colorado and offers residencies, workshops, individual performances, teacher training and arts advocacy programs statewide.
The dinner event also included presentation of the Ann Robinson Levy Award to Gordon W. Stenger and the Gully Stanford Award to Holland & Hart. Each award recognizes exemplary contributions to the arts.
Guests included Ann Levy with her son, Phillip; Todger Anderson; Stephen and Lynne Conner; Newell and Judy Grant; Margaret Cunningham and Tom Dunham; University of Colorado Foundation president Wayne and Joyce Hutchens; Pat and Andrea Bains, Colorado Bar Association chief Chuck and Debbie Turner; Eula Hoff; and William Jackson. Those at THINK360 president Ann Butler’s table were Jim and Carole McCotter, Don Greco, Haley Hearst and Leslie Tweed King of Northern Trust. Managing partner Larry Wolfe hosted the Holland & Hart table with retired parter Dennis Jackson and his wife, Betty Lynn, inviting such friends as Betty Arkell, Tori Donovan Lutz and her father, attorney Jack Lutz. Phil and Corry Doty anchored the EKS&H table with founding partner Bob and Sharla Hottman.And there’s more
Campy Couture, the cocktail party and celebrity fashion show held to promote Janet’s Camp, begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Saks Fifth Avenue Cherry Creek. Beverages and light hors d’oeuvres will be served as models show off outfits appropriate for the backyard fundraiser that Janet Elway will host at her Cherry Hills Village home on June 6. Money raised will send 200-plus children from low-income families to YMCA summer camp. Call 720-524-2714.
The Junior League of Denver will announce the title of its fifth cookbook, due next year, at a May 1 get-together at Crate & Barrel, 101 Clayton Lane in Cherry Creek North. Tickets for the 5:30 p.m. event are $35 and include a $15 C&B gift card, plus an appearance by photographer John Fielder. Visit .
Also on May 1, the Colorado UpLift Guild meets for lunch at the University of Denver School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. Staff member Anthony Grimes will speak and there’ll be tango dancing by UpLift students Amy Anderson and Kels Detra plus a jewelry exhibit by Cathy Marquis of Stone Legend.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, .
