![<B>Barb Mendel,</B> left, board president <B>Rick Schwartz</B> and <B>Lea Ann Fowler</B> helped organize Travel with Taste, a benefit for the Parkinson Association of the Rockies. <!--IPTC: [CUT1]Barb Mendel, left, board president Rick Schwartz and Lea Ann Fowler helped organize Travel with Taste, a benefit for the Parkinson Association of the Rockies. [CREDIT]Photo by Joanne Davidson, The Denver Post-->](/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/20101021__20101024_E15_FE24DAVIDSONp1.jpg?w=468 "20101021__20101024_E15_FE24DAVIDSON~p1.JPG")
The moon was big and bright — and so were the smiles on everyone’s faces — when Smart-Girl celebrated its 10th anniversary by throwing a party that let guests become astronomers. At least for the night.
As folks made their way into the garden at the Governor’s Residence, executive director Karen Silverman and board chair Edric Starbird pointed them to the telescopes that had been set up by members of the Denver Astronomical Society and said it was OK if they wanted to get a little “spacey” by taking a closer look at the moon, stars and planets that filled the evening sky.
The party also was the occasion for Smart-Girl to honor its Partner of the Year, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, whose programming vice president, Tina Martinez, was there to accept kudos for the Clubs hosting Smart-Girl programs in its nine branches.
Partygoers also heard from Montbello High School senior Jocelynn Lewis, one of the 700 high-school- and college-aged women trained to serve as guides (or mentors) for the 3,000 middle-school girls that take part in Smart-Girl programs annually. She said that serving as a “near- peer” role model for the younger girls helped her to realize how important it was to make smart choices for herself.
Those enjoying music by the Denver Young Artists Orchestra duet Sempre Strings and the jazz/swing band Pawn Ticket Trio included Smart-Girl co-founder Debra Mc- Kenney and her husband, Chuck; Olympic skier and Smart-Girl board member Michelle Roark; Peter and Nicole Tedstrom; Craig Knippenberg; Lisa Patterson; Sue and Doug Seserman; Rosalina Diecidue; and event committee members Brandy Atencio, Kim Bolt and Jill Macey.
More at .
Yummy, yummy.
Travel with us to Asia, South America and Italy, said the Parkinson Association of the Rockies. It’ll only set you back $250 — and you don’t even have to get a passport, pack a suitcase or stand in an airport security line.
Impossible?
Nope. All that was needed to turn this tantalizing offer into reality was a checkbook and a ride to Infinity Park Event Center. Travel with Taste was the theme for the association’s annual fundraising gala, and the food-centric event raised $85,000 for the information and services offered to those affected by Parkinson’s disease in Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska.
Rick Schwartz, a retired Fox Sports Network news director and president of the association board, chaired the event with Lynda Brecke and fellow board members Lea Ann Fowler, an attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber & Schreck; Lee Mendel and Barbara Emery-Mendel; Dr. Lynn Taussig, former president/CEO of National Jewish Health; and Bill Vollbracht, Land Title Guarantee’s CEO.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, one of the honorary chairmen, was among the 180 guests, a group that also included Gordon, Zelda, Doug and Jennifer Friednash; Tim Emery; Blanca and Howard Lerman; Bob and Carole Slosky; Tom Gamel; Bill and Bei-Lee Gold; Glen, Patti and Brian Sibley; Meyer and Geri Saltzman; John and Ginny Freyer and executive director Molly Brundage.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
