From the ball gowns and bow ties to the lighting, table settings and strawberry cheesecake dessert, most everything had a touch of pink at Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s annual Pink Tie Affair.
Yet in the end, the color that mattered most was green. Green as in dollars, specifically the $300,000 that co-chairs Wendi Graper and Lori Shaw were able to turn over to the Denver Metropolitan Affiliate after the 2009 edition of this auction, dinner and dance held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown. The money goes to affiliate-sponsored breast-health education, screening and treatment programs.
The success was particularly gratifying to executive director Michele Ostrander: “Even with the economic ups and downs we’ve all been experiencing lately, the caring and compassionate people of Colorado continue to give and to support this worthy cause.”
Attendance, she added, was up (800 this year compared with 650 in 2008) and a newly formed young professionals network headed by Monica Owens and Auna Jornayvaz brought fresh enthusiasm to the cause.
Owens and Jornayvaz had 80 guests at the YP Network launch party held at the Wine Loft; 72 of them attended the gala, adding $9,000 to the total proceeds.
9News anchor Kim Christiansen emceed the event that was also attended by Ernie and 2010 chair Sharon Magness Blake; CoBank president Bob Engel; Adam and Adrine Writer; Kirk and Samantha Scheitler; Scott and Louise Richardson; Sharon Hartman; Hollen Ferrendelli; Bradley Joseph; Zach Wolfel; Denise Snyder; Patti Shyne; Scott and Lori McInnis; Scott Grimmett; John Atencio and son Peter; Joan Lucas, who presented the affiliate’s Ambassador Award to Tri for the Cure founders Pat and Amy Downing; and Rick and Michelle Winters, high bidders on the centerpiece auction item: jetting off to Kansas City with the Denver Broncos in December when they play the Chiefs.
Coming right up
Whether you croon or whether you croak . . . it takes only a few cocktails for the crowd to believe you sound like a rock star. So reads the invitation to National Jewish Health’s annual Cocktails & Karaoke, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Curtis Hotel. Brian Parks, Dana Pluss Parks and Josh Hanfling are the chairmen; sign up at . . . . Cranberry Jam: A Rock and Reggae Music Event begins at 6:15 p.m. Nov. 29 at Herman’s Hideaway. It’s put on by Denver Gives, an organization formed in 2008 by a group of area young professionals, and features music by Lion SoulJahs and others. Tickets are $10 at .
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
