After staging the largest and most successful Colorado Dragon Boat Festival to date, it was time to celebrate. So 200 organizers, board members and friends gathered at Temple Emanuel last week for a gala evening that began with cocktails and cultural demonstrations in an enclosed courtyard and continued with an awards dinner in the synagogue’s social hall.
Alisa Zimmerman, the organization’s first executive director, gave special thanks to the 2008 festival’s honorary chair, Ved Nanda, and honorary patrons Leo and Linda Goto. She also introduced Ding- Wen Hsu, who established the dragon boat races in Colorado and chairs the festival board of directors. Hsu announced the start of a youth leadership program for 18- to 25-year-olds of Asian descent.
The goal, Hsu said, is to encourage young people to become more involved in their respective communities, build networks and prepare for leadership roles in corporate America. They’ll also be asked to become more involved with the festival.
The program will be patterned after such successful models as Leadership Denver, and the first class of about 15 will begin in January.
Gala-goers included Perla Gheiler of presenting sponsor American Family Insurance; Jimmy and Linda Yip; Nanda’s wife, Katharine, and daughter, Anjali; Hsu’s husband, Tai Dan Hsu; Sami Nakazono; Erin Yoshimura; Stella Yu; Peter and Jillian Drummond; Matt Keeney; artist Ryan Ballard; and newlyweds Jessica and Reza Alizadeh. They first met 10 years ago and were reintroduced about a year ago by Marcela de la Mar of the Mexican consulate. They were married on March 22.
Coming right up
Friends of Nursing meets at Glenmoor Country Club on Friday afternoon for a light lunch and an announcement that after a 15-year-hiatus, its Old Fashioned Christmas Tour returns to Phipps Mansion. FON’s founding president, Greta Pollard, will chair the event that opens with a patron preview on Dec. 3. We’ll have more as the date approaches . . . Who’ll headline Saturday Night Alive 2009? Find out Sept. 18 when chaircouple Anne and Ralph Klomp, along with Jim and Patty Kleckner, host an announcement party at the Grand Hyatt’s Pinnacle Club. Sharon Whiton Gelt is planning the 6 p.m. event; this morning, she’s in charge of a kickoff for the Brass Ring Luncheon, a 10 a.m. brunch with informal modeling at Saks Fifth Avenue Cherry Creek . . . Also today, Kitty Gregg becomes president of the Fine Arts Foundation at a luncheon held at Jennifer O’Neill’s home in Cherry Hills Village and Friends for Families First has its annual membership lunch at Libby and David Chernow’s home in Greenwood Village. Plus, original paintings, sculptures and folk art from Zimbabwe will be up for bid at a 5:30 p.m. cocktail party and auction held at a private home in Capitol Hill. It’s a benefit for the ZATA Project, which provides medical care for AIDS patients in Zimbabwe. Visit .
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@ .; also, .
