Bridgeway is all about building brighter futures, but it was a blast from the past that made its annual gala so much fun.
It took oh, maybe three seconds for the dance floor to fill once Kenny Knight and Fred Wynn, original members of the Drifters and the Del Vikings, respectively, stepped onto the bandstand to join the Jim Hyatt Band for a musical walk down Greatest Hits Lane.
Bridgeway, which Carole Haas founded 23 years ago, provides shelter and support for the 11 pregnant or unwed moms between ages 16 to 21 who can live at the Lakewood-based nonprofit for up to 18 months. While they are there, they receive emotional support, and help in developing the academic, career and parenting skills that will enable them to go out into the world as a happy, healthy, nondependent parent.
Sixteen of Bridgeway’s 550 graduates attended the gala held at Belmar Event Center. Among them: Juana Diaz, who is working as a certified nursing assistant while preparing for a career in radiology and raising her 6-year- old daughter, Raquel; Terra Jack, a successful hairdresser, recent bride and scrapbooking company owner, whose daughter, Cierra, is 16; Shannon Gosman, who graduated from college, works as a financial-aid officer at a local university and is mother to 11-year-old Iesha; Melissa Heerdt, a certified nursing assistant working at Denver Health and mom to 7-year-old Mackenzie; and Cristi Larson, who earned an associate’s degree in culinary arts, works full time at Whole Foods, is planning her wedding and raising her 9-year-old daughter, Destiny. They were introduced by honorary chairmen Molly Hughes of CBS4 and her husband, Atlas Medical president John Butler.
Board president Terry Hill chaired the benefit with Ellen Robison and Haas. KOSI personality Murphy Houston emceed and dinner was catered by Epicurean.
In addition, Hill and her husband, John, demonstrated their enthusiasm for the good Bridgeway does by becoming high bidders on an Italian dinner for six donated by Jim Plummer, former owner of Fratelli’s restaurant; pledging $10,000 in the evening’s special appeal; and joining with Steve and Tammy Taylor to match up to $5,000 in other pledges made that night. All of which caused auctioneer Gary Corbett to exclaim: “We don’t have a recession, here, folks!”
Others supporting the cause were King Soopers president Russ Dispense and his wife, Debbie; Jo, Mike, Zach and Kristyn McGuire; Carol Snodgrass; and Randy and Carolyn Hall.It’s all good
Comic Phil Palisoul, a veteran of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” headlines Lighten Up With LoDo, a dinner and awards ceremony taking place Tuesday at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Tickets: 303-628-5424. . . . On Wednesday, Concerts For Kids has its annual bowl-a-thon at Lucky Strike Lanes in the Denver Pavilions. The fun starts at 5 p.m.; teams can register at 303-825-0989. . . . The 13th BNY Mellon Wealth Management Denver Jewish Film Festival was a record-breaker, reports chairwoman Sharon Haber. Paid admissions were up 12 percent over 2008, and attendance reached an all-time high of 5,140.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also,
