He’s gonna blush when he reads this, but with his winning smile and gentle demeanor, Terrance Carroll, the speaker of the state House of Representatives, has more than a passing resemblance to a comfy, cuddly teddy bear.
Which may be why he was invited to speak at a Chinese New Year-themed dinner benefiting the Littleton-based Pandas International.
Or not. In real life, Carroll is an attorney with Greenberg Traurig; he also has a master of divinity degree in theology and does some preaching on the side. So whether he’s pleading a case in court, standing behind the pulpit or doing his thing at the state Capitol, the man knows how to get his point across in some very engaging ways.
He told the 240 dinner guests that he could certainly relate to the challenges associated with raising money to rebuild China’s giant panda population. Their struggle to come up with money at a time when everyone is cutting back, Carroll said, is a lot like the situation he and his fellow legislators are experiencing as they attempt to balance the state budget.
It’s very tough, he admitted, because no one wants to see “essential and valuable projects” lose out, but reality’s reality, and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made because the dollars simply aren’t there.
Money raised by Pandas International goes toward the rebuilding of the Giant Panda Captive Breeding and Research Center in Wolong, China, and to the replanting of the pandas’ main food source, the bamboo grown there. Both suffered extensive damage in the catastrophic earthquake that shook the region in May, 2008.
Additional information on Pandas International is available from director Suzanne Braden, 303-933-2365, or by visiting the group’s website, .
Coming right up.
The Denver Health Foundation’s Level One Society will hear from Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter and Dr. Robert House at the April 9 Toast to Denver’s Health. Jenny Scholes, Monica Liley Skok and Jamie Van Leeuwen are chairing the 5:30 p.m. event held at the governor’s mansion.
• Entries are now being accepted for the third annual Best in Show auction that benefits the Downtown Animal Care Foundation. Artists, designers, small-business owners — anyone, really, with a creative flair — can pick up a plastic Eero Aarnio “puppy” from Mod Livin’ Modern Furniture, 5327 E. Colfax Ave., and then decorate it for an auction to be held at the store April 24. Entry fees range from $50 to $150, with proceeds going to the DACF for low-income families facing a veterinary emergency. Call 720-941-9292.
• You saw her in the stands in Beijing last summer, cheering as her son Michael swam to a record number of Olympic gold medals. On April 25, Debbie Phelps will be here, via video, to accept Denver Academy’s Reach for the Stars Award. Representatives from Denver Academy traveled to Baltimore last week to present the award and film the video to be shown at the dinner event held at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center. Debbie Phelps is a middle-school principal in Maryland and was given the award in commemoration of the role she has played in increasing awareness about ADHD. She is only the third person to receive it; previous awardees are actor/director Henry Winkler and Denver psychologist Nancy Gary. For details, visit denveracademy .
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, .
