Mile High United Way’s Women United Luncheon marked its 16th year by raising $300,000 at an event where 1,000 civic leaders heard Will Schwalbe relate the story behind his poignant memoir of caregiving, mourning and love, ” .”
He said that he wrote the book not for closure but to continue the conversation that he and his mother shared during her battle with the pancreatic cancer that eventually claimed her life.
Improving the literacy rate among Colorado’s children is a priority for Mile High United Way, and Schwalbe applauded the organization for its efforts. His mother had worked in refugee camps in the war zones of Aghanistan, Darfur and Pakistan, Schwalbe recalled, and one of the first things the refugees asked for was books.
“When I was growing up, my mother never said to me, ‘Put down that book and do something’ because reading was doing something. Books introduced us to new people, places and things.”
The luncheon chaired by Teresa Van De Bogart also was the occasion for United Way to present the 2014 Frances Wisebart Jacobs Award to Kathy Ambrose.
After a successful career in banking, Ambrose turned her attention to volunteerism; in particular, helping to inspire philanthropy in others.
, which will raise $650,000 for United Way this year, was the presenting sponsor, and program support manager Suzanne Beggs introduced Schwalbe.
The award itself is a compass star necklace designed by Jill Farquhar, the owner of J. Skaar Collections.
Xcel Energy also was a sponsor of the luncheon, and David Eves, , was at the luncheon with such colleagues as regional vice president Alice Jackson; community and local government affairs manager Kirk Scheitler; corporate giving manager Kasia Iwaniczko MacLeod; and Hollie Velasquez Horvath, the manager of political and civic engagement. Eves also is chairman of the United Way board of trustees.
Others at the lunch were Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia; former Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter; Women United chair Linda Brisnehan; Melissa Coors Osborn; Christy Belz; Neyeska Mut; and benefactor Carrie Morgridge.
The United Way’s new headquarters at 711 Park Avenue West was named the Morgridge Center for Community Change in honor of the Morgridge family’s contributions.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
