Some fundraising events are like a three-ring circus: Loud and wild and busy as a beehive.
Others, like An Evening in Eden, are more serene, enabling guests to enjoy a quiet elegance that’s fun, refreshing and very, very special.
Jerry Kern and his wife, Mary Rossick Kern, were the hosts for this 1960s-themed dinner that marked the 10th anniversary of the Institute for Children’s Mental Disorders. Their home in Castle Pines Village is surrounded by a botanical wonderland combining the best of East and West, a treat to visit.
The Kerns (he’s an attorney and president of Symphony Media) founded the nonprofit institute in 1999 and are members of its governing board. Dr. Robert Freedman, chair of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry, is the scientific director and Steve Edmonds is the executive director. The institute, headquartered on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, supports research that will lead to improved treatments and the prevention of mental illness in children.
Those attending An Evening in Eden included former Denverite Fern Portnoy and her husband, Ron Goldman; institute board members Terry Biddinger and her husband, John; Steve Brett; Dick Saunders and his wife, Jeanne; and Fred and Roxanne Vierra. (More in my Seen First blog: )
Benefit trifecta
Big events have a way of bunching up on the same night. Good thing folks here love supporting worthy causes, because on Sept. 26 there are three: The Barbara Davis Center’s High Hopes Carousel Ball that honors Arlene Hirschfeld and stars Earth, Wind and Fire, Babyface and Shawn King; the Denver Center Alliance-sponsored Beatles Bash; and the Adoption Alliance’s Evening with comedian Alison Larkin.
High Hopes is at the Sheraton Denver Downtown and tickets, starting at $350, can be purchased from Laura Soucy, 303-863-1200, ext. 5111. The $200-a-ticket Beatles Bash (call 303-446-4815) includes dinner, presentation of the Florence K. Ruston Award for Philanthropy in the Arts to Susan and Leo Kiely and the 7 p.m. show of “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles” in the Buell Theatre. The Adoption Alliance event begins with a 6 p.m. VIP reception in Anschutz Theater at Kent Denver School. Tickets are $40 and $60 (visit ) .
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
