When Denver Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups hears fans cheering and applauding, it’s usually after he has sunk one at the Pepsi Center.
But at Neiman Marcus Cherry Creek? You betcha.
It happened when Chauncey and his wife, Piper, hosted a reception and fashion show to introduce the charitable foundations they have begun. The crowd included their parents, siblings and such Nuggets as Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Chris “Birdman” Andersen.
His Chauncey Billups Foundation will provide “small luxuries” like concert and sporting-event tickets to children from low-income families, while Piper’s Spread Her Wings Foundation is dedicated to helping girls avoid getting swept up in the peer pressure that can result in teen pregnancy and substance abuse.
Coming right up.
Is 12 the new 18? Find out Tuesday when Addie Swartz, creator of Beacon Street Girls and chief executive of B’tween Productions, speaks at a luncheon benefiting the Denver-based mentoring organization Smart-Girl. The $75-a-ticket event is at Cherry Hills Country Club. For reservations, or to learn more about a two-day Barnes & Noble book fair, where Swartz will read from her newest, “Sweet Thirteen,” call 303-815-1921.
It’s no joke:Janet Elway, Martha Kelce and Jamie Angelich are the names behind a Wednesday comedy show and auction to benefit the Shining Stars Foundation and its work on behalf of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Doors open at 6 p.m. at Comedy Works South; Clinton Jackson is the headliner. Call 720-274-6800.
How sweet it is: On Thursday, friends of the Hep C Connection gather at the Courtyard by Marriott Cherry Creek, 1475 S. Colorado Blvd., for Desserts & Delights. Katie Barton and Mike Grube are putting together an evening that includes an appetizer and dessert buffet, and a salute to the six members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee for their role in retaining hepatitis C prevention programs that are funded by the state. Shawn Hagler, the 2008 state champion auctioneer, will call for bids on weekend getaways, sporting events, spa packages and more. Tickets are $45; call 720-917-3963.
Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput and Monsignor Thomas Fryar are honorary chairs for Friday night’s Journey of Hope, a dinner at which author Matthew Kelly speaks on behalf of the Seeds of Hope Charitable Trust at the Grand Hyatt Denver. The event is coordinated by Lisa Harpole and Jill Heringer; get tickets from Justin Zuiker, 303-715-3186.
Ballet Nouveau’s Nouveau at Night Gala is Saturday at the Westin Tabor Center. Rene Adema, Kim DeLashmit, Jennifer Jacobson and Nicole Mulvany are the chairs; call 303-466-5685.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
