The bright blue alone made Flip Preisser look like one cool dude. Add a pair of shades, though, and he became the darling of the Little Hearts Luncheon & Fashion Show.
Flip is one of six pooches from the Prescription Pets program at who walked the runway with the 29 children modeling clothing from in a show that raised $55,000 for the family emergency assistance fund at the hospital’s .
Flip accompanied 9-year-old Thornton resident Grace, who has had surgery to correct a congenital heart defect.
Twenty-three of the young fashionistas have undergone procedures or treatments that range from heart transplants to ablation, which involves creating a small burn on the heart’s inner wall to curb abnormal cardiac rhythms.
The other six were friends of the cause, like 9-year-old Caroline of Lakewood, who walked in support of her 5-year-old sister, Violet, who has pulmonary hypertension.
Lyn Schaffer chaired the event held at . The was the presenting sponsor; 9News anchor Kim Christiansen was mistress of ceremonies; and lunch — roasted leek and Parmesan tarts — was by .
New this year was an appearance by Thunder, mascot of the , who stopped by for a photo op during the silent auction social that preceded lunch.
Drs. James Jaggers and Dunbar Ivydid double-duty as model escorts and luncheon speakers, reminding the 400 guests that the money raised will help Heart Institute families defray unanticipated expenses while their children are in treatment.
And, Dr. Michael Schaffer presented the 2014 Sam and Fern Primack Heart Who Cares award to Dr. Robert Wolff, who had treated the Primack’s granddaughter, Lindsey, when she was a patient at Children’s.
Molly Broeren and Peter Calamari, members of the Children’s Hospital Foundation board of trustees, were among those attending the luncheon; other guests included Drs. Fran Hickey, Max Mitchell and Karrie Villavicencio; Jack and Adrienne Fitzgibbons, whose grandson, Kepler, was a model; Steve Edmonds; Sandee Walling; Chris, Greg, Haley, Jackson, Jacque, Moe, Matt and Suzy Gebhardt; and Irene Zimmer, whose was a contributing sponsor of the fundraiser.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson @denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
Online: More pictures from this event:
“Women Making History” awards
Elycia Cook, executive director of Friends First, is among those receiving Women Making History awards from Colorado Black Women for Political Action.
Joanne Davidson has details in the Mile High Style blog:
