![Marian Wright Edelman autographs a copy of her book for Joya Wolf at the Colorado Children's Campaign Luncheon. <!--IPTC: [CUT1]Marian Wright Edelman autographs a copy of her book for Joya Wolf at the Colorado Children’s Campaign Luncheon. [CREDIT]Steve Peterson, Special to The Denver Post-->](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/20091104__20091106_D14_FE06DAVIDSONp1.jpg?w=506 "20091104__20091106_D14_FE06DAVIDSON~p1.JPG")
Utter the words “family values” and whatever conversation you’re in will ignite. Everyone’s got an opinion; many are scorching hot.
The phrase may be a political flashpoint, but Marian Wright Edelman says it shouldn’t be.
Speaking to 800 guests at a lunch benefiting Colorado Children’s Campaign, the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund challenged parents to put semantics aside and focus on the family values no one can argue with: making education a priority, serving nutritious meals and getting kids off the couch and away from the TV or video console.
It’s not easy, she acknowledged, citing statistics that show one in every five children born in the United States today is “doomed to a life of poverty, failure and hopelessness. Every 40 seconds, a child is abused; every 10 seconds, one drops out of school.”
The luncheon chaired by Lindsay Filsinger, Jennifer Pride, Wylly Staab, Kelly Stava, Lisa Straffon and Mary Wheeler attracted a crowd that included Gov. Bill Ritter; Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien; Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; Tom Boasberg, superintendent of the Denver Public Schools; and Piton Foundation founder Sam Gary.
It also was the occasion to introduce Chris Watney, the new leader of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. She previously served as the agency’s executive vice president; before that, she was spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice under attorneys general Janet Reno and John Ashcroft. Watney also spoke on the department’s behalf during the Oklahoma City bombing trials.
Sorority milestone
In August 1951, Irma Simpson helped establish the Aurora-based Beta Rho Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority. On Sunday she will be the guest of honor at the sorority’s Founders Day Brunch at Blossoms restaurant at Heather Gardens. The event is hosted by the area’s second Sigma Gamma Rho chapter, Theta Zeta Sigma.
Simpson, soon to turn 90, joined Sigma Gamma Rho in 1941 as a student at Philander Smith College in Arkansas. She also was recognized as a Cultured Pearl, an honor given to 50-year members, at Sigma Gamma Rho’s national convention last year.
Look online
The number of events that we have covered once again exceeds the amount of space allotted for my column, so look to the Internet for pictures and reports on a dinner that Dr. Michael Salem hosted for national trustees of National Jewish Health and a Denver Center Alliance wine-tasting that had vintner Marc Mondavi as the special guest.
The stories are part of my Seen First blog: while the pictures can be found at .
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
