When Stacy Preblud chaired the first Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Dream Gala, whispers kept growing louder that a cure for Type I diabetes was just around the corner.
Nine years have elapsed, and while progress continues, there’s still no cure for this devastating disease.
Preblud is one of an estimated 3 million Americans with Type 1 diabetes and most definitely has not given up hope. In fact, she’s working harder than ever to raise research dollars.
Earlier this month, she teamed with fiance Jeff Robinson to chair the 2008 Dream Gala, Vintage Las Vegas, that honored Delta Dental President Kate Paul and raised $633,000.
In true dream fashion, it seemed like the Marriott City Center’s grand ballroom — and everyone in it — had been picked up and dropped right in the middle of the Vegas strip, circa 1950.
Dinner tables for the evening’s high rollers were horseshoe- shaped, decorated in red, black and white, and set along the perimeter of a dance floor that was never empty, thanks to Mark and The Martinis. The Sin City faves played tunes from the Rat Pack era during dinner, and built to a rock ‘n’ roll crescendo as the night wore on.
A bevy of Vegas showgirls hovered around the band, and whether or not they were the real deal isn’t important because one guest sure was: Preblud’s mom, Carol Mendelson, had quite a career at the Sands Hotel back in the day, and it was her likeness that graced the Dream Gala program and auction menu.
Mendelson and hubby Les didn’t miss a beat, either on the dance floor or at the auction block.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, who’d lunched with JDRF International chairman Mary Tyler Moore, herself a 40-year Type 1 patient, in Washington in the week preceding the gala, was a guest at Kate Paul’s table. They were joined by DeGette’s husband, Lino Lipinsky, and their daughter, Francesca, also a Type 1 patient; Kate’s beau, Mike Passmore; Kathryn Ballinger, general counsel for Exempla Health; and George and JoMarie Dancik, who have retired “back home in Colorado” after eight years in Minneapolis where JoMarie was regional manager for Ernst & Young.
Christie and Sage Hospitality chief Walter Isenberg coordinated the dinner, which concluded with a flaming presentation of bananas Foster, and flew in Sage associates from three states who had raised $70,000 for JDRF in a workplace giving program. The Isenbergs also were high bidders on a double side of beef donated by Gary Magness’ Magness Land & Cattle and Omaha Steaks.
Former Denver Bronco Jay Leeuwenburg, now a teacher at Colorado Academy, helped inspire additional donations when he and former pupil Will Baird recounted how they bonded as Type 1 diabetics; the JDRF Rocky Mountain board chair, Dr. Peter Gottlieb, did, too, by telling how his two sons struggle with the disease.
Others supporting the cause were Howard Bergerud of Platinum Sponsor Semple Development; Mark and Ellen Schwartz with friends Ron and Barbara Thring and Pat and Karen Lee; Jerry and Lorna Gray; Barbara Grogan and Mark Cordova; Jean and Dr. Ben Galloway; Jim and Kate Taucher; Aaron and Sandee LaPedis; John and Penny Hopkins; Judi, Joe, Bev and Bruce Wagner; and CBS4 anchor Jim Benemann, who emceed.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also,
