A question that a lot of folks didn’t have to ask the other night was “What’s for dessert?” Not if they were at the Autism Society of Colorado’s annual Pie and Holiday Gift Sale, that is.
Three hundred pies were sold that night, including a sweet-tart cranberry confection made by Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter. Her predecessor, Frances Owens, whipped up one of her popular Millionaire’s Pie — a treat that Owens says is so named because “It has a million calories.”
ASC executive director Betty Lehman has a slightly different take. “I got a taste of it and have to say that the only thing sweeter than Frances’ pie is Frances herself.”
Owens has donated a pie for each of the five years this event has been held, and this year was there in person to help lead the bidding. Ritter was there, too, along with state Sen. Ken Gordon, who not only donated pies of his own but offered $1,000 to buy those baked by Ritter and Owens.
His pies may not have been homemade, but they were arguably the next best thing. The senator grew up in Detroit, and on a recent trip home he picked up a couple of apple pies from the storied Cider Mill and hand-carried them on his flight back to Denver.
Vern Tharp was the winning bidder, and Gordon was so pleased with Tharp’s $200 contribution that he threw in a “gift with purchase”: lunch and a personal tour of the state Capitol.
The giving spirit.
Gift cards make fabulous stocking stuffers, especially when buying them helps out an agency as deserving as Food Bank of the Rockies. Chipotle, Starbucks, Macy’s and other retailers will donate 2 percent to 8 percent of the card’s face value to the food bank if the card is ordered through the FBR website, . . . . Stumped for a good gift idea? How does golf for four at The Club at Ravenna or tickets to a black-tie gala sound? Cancer League of Colorado has these and other items up for sale; find out how to buy them by e-mailing Lfiemann@tatonkacapital.com. . . . A holiday shopping party to benefit the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation begins at 11 a.m. Sunday at Sucre, 1444 Market St. . . . From noon to 6 p.m. today, and again Monday-Dec. 24, Metro Volunteers is accepting donations of soap, socks, toothbrushes and things of that nature to be placed in reusable sacks and distributed to homeless families on Christmas Day. Items can be dropped off at the Metro Volunteers office, 444 Sherman St. . . . At 5 p.m. Monday, Gov. Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper will help light the community menorah outside Allied Jewish Federation headquarters, 300 S. Dahlia St.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, .
