A precisely 5:01 p.m. on Feb. 3, doors to the landmark D&F Tower on the 16th Street Mall swung open for One Past 5, the Young Professionals Happy Hour, and in walked not just what seemed like a zillion people, but a new era for Denver fundraisers.
If Holly Kylberg and Tom Lorz, who organized this benefit for Historic Denver, had any qualms about how a troubled economy would affect a first-time event, they were quickly laid to rest. Because with smart pricing (tickets, a bargain $20, included two drinks and food from the ChopHouse and D-Bar Desserts), brilliant marketing (Facebook and Internet websites) and the promise of amazing views, music and Nordstrom party favors, One Past 5 sold out, with a very long wait list, in about a week.
“Holly and I didn’t want to put on another cookie-cutter benefit,” said Lorz, a new member of the Historic Denver board. “We wanted something with character, so we took everything we’ve learned from our involvement with other groups and adapted it in ways that would appeal to the younger crowd we wanted to attract.” The sponsoring Historic Denver Young Professionals is open to those between the ages of 21 and 40.
“Our goal is to engage a younger demographic in a new way,” Lorz added. “We want to give them access to places they don’t normally go, to show them a good time and ultimately to get them involved in historic preservation.”
Their success quickly came to the attention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which dispatched a representative to the fete and subsequently declared One Past 5 a model on which preservation groups across the country can draw.
Check-in was in Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret in the tower’s basement level, and after name tags were affixed to lapels, guests were free to take the stairs or elevator to the tower’s upper floors. Each level boasted its own unique decor, food and music.
One of the big attractions was a cake that Keegan Gerhard of the Food Network and D-Bar Desserts baked and decorated in the shape of the D&F Tower.
Who all was there? Denver City Council members Carla Madison and Charlie Brown, for starters, along with Chris Meza of the Landmark Preservation Commission; Junior Leaguer Ana Sandomire; Amma Group’s Josh Hanfling; publicist Jim Guttau; real estate pro Martha Kelce; animal welfare advocates Linda Houlihan and Michaela Degraw; and gallery owner Aaron LaPedis.
Co-chair Kylberg owns the D&F Tower and makes it available for meetings and events.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, /davidson
