The Children’s Hospital Gala always has an interesting twist. Sometimes it’s the entertainer; in others, the theme or decor.
This year’s conversation-starter was the aerialist who poured glasses of top-shelf champagne while suspended from the ceiling in the Hyatt Regency Convention Center ballroom dedicated to the pre-dinner silent auction and cocktail reception.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before,” exclaimed Mary Spillane, director of development for the Civic Center Conservancy and one of the 1,400 guests who were at the Hyatt on Saturday night to help event chairs Carol and George Solich surpass their goal of raising $1.6 million for Children’s Hospital Colorado and come in with a grand total of $1.86 million. George Solich is president and chief executive officer of Cordillera Energy Partners.
Since its start 34 years ago, the gala has raised $25 million for patient services at the award-winning pediatric facility, now located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
Given the sad state of the economy — and world events in general — it was fitting to once again make humor a big part of the evening. Comedian Brian Regan had the crowd roaring with laughter; an unexpected bonus was having his brother, Dennis, open the show with a few jokes of his own.
(Coincidentally, last year’s headliner, Jay Leno, was in town the same night, doing stand-up at the nearby Ellie Caulkins Opera House for an event benefiting the Zarlengo Foundation.)
Hospital president Jim Shmerling and Steve Winesett, who leads the Children’s Hospital Foundation, welcomed such valued supporters as former Gov. Bill Ritter; Mayor Michael Hancock; gala steering committee chairs Janie and Rick Stoddard; University of Colorado president Bruce Benson and his wife, Marcy; Don and Mary Elliman; King Soopers president Russ Dispense and his wife, Debbie; such past gala chairs as Blair and Kristin Richardson, Walter and Christie Isenberg, Peter and Cathy Culshaw, Jan Cortez, Pam Diamond, Jeanne Phillips, Scott and Virginia Reiman and Michael and Kelly Kennedy; and the couple that will chair the 2012 gala, John and Bridget Grier.
For more on who was there, the dinner menu and the elegant decor, please visit my Seen First blog: .
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and twitter/GetItWrite
