When it comes to Kentucky Derby parties, Louisville leads in celebrating the annual Run for the Roses.
But there were dozens of Denver events this year, ranging from the giant (2,718 guests) , benefiting the Sean “Ranch” Lough Scholarship Fund at Colorado State University and held in the , to smaller ones that raised money for causes that included , , and .
Denver’s derby madness began the night before the 141st Run for the Roses, when the raised $145,000 at its third Dominican Derby.
Mary Morroni, who heads the nonprofit organization’s board of directors, chaired the sold-out event held at the Cable Center. The 300 guests enjoyed tapas from , , and ; bid on artwork by Dr. Martha Heppard and awarded the prize for Best Hat to Dazzle Edwards.
They also applauded as former Denver Nugget Bill Hanzlik and his wife, Maribeth, were honored for their longstanding support of Dominican Home Health Agency’s 92-year commitment to providing free, in-home nursing care and other health-related services to the metro area’s poor, sick and elderly. Eighty-one percent of the agency’s clients have incomes of less than $12,000 per year and have little or no family support.
Guests — including Virginia Bray and her mother, Alma; Carl and Sandy Unrein, Bill Fortune, Dan and Sarah Gray, Margaret Stavros, Jane Wilson and Bill and Kathy Stupansky — gave the People’s Choice Award for Best Chef to Jose Manuel Marquez of Tapas D’Jerez. A celebrity panel made up of former Denver Broncos Rich Karlis and Steve Foley, former Denver Nugget Walter Davis and event designer John Tobey presented the Judge’s Award to chef Aaron Bernstein of Panzano.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
Online: More pictures from this event denverpost.com/seengallery
