Timing was everything at for 2015, as wacky weather threatened the one element that honorees look forward to most: the horse-drawn carriage ride from the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to the
Saturday started out all sunshine-y and bright, but storm clouds filled the sky as morning gave way to afternoon. By 5 p.m., when families and friends assembled in the Denver Center Galleria for the social hour that preceded the presentation of 42 debutantes and 25 Young Men of Distinction, the weather had switched back to perfect.
But by the time master of ceremonies Arthur Espinoza had introduced the last debutante — and applause for “Pirates of the Caribbean,” a work commissioned for the occasion by and danced by Asuka Sasaki and Francisco Estevez from the subsided — it had started to sprinkle.
Fortunately, the downpour that flooded streets and stranded motorists in other parts of the city held off on walloping downtown until everyone had arrived at the Sheraton for a dinner-dance in the Plaza Ballroom that was decorated to reflect the ball’s “Scheherazade” theme.
Denise Nalen, wife of former Denver Bronco Tom Nalen, chaired the 47th edition of this benefit for dance scholarships, grants to area nonprofit dance companies and Showcase of Dance, which introduces schoolchildren to the art of dance.
“It was a great experience,” she said. “We had some very special honorees.”
Such as Colorado Academy grad Julia Murphy, a USA Field Hockey Futures Elite player who was named Sports Woman of the Year for Field Hockey by . Beth and Dr. Terrence Murphy’s debutante daughter will attend Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.
Young Man of Distinction Liam Bush is a member of the , a search and rescue team whose members are all high school students. And, with fellow Young Man of Distinction Justin Connerly, placed first out of 20 Denver teams in Lockheed Martin’s Code Quest, a computer-programming competition held in April in cities across the U.S.
Bush, son of Jonathon Bush and Alice Jackson Bush, and Connerly, whose parents are Daniel and Rita Connerly, are Colorado Academy graduates. Bush will attend Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., and Connerly will also head West — to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
As a member of Kent Denver School’s state champion speech and debate team, Michael Hudson was ranked fourth in the nation in Humorous Interpretation. The son of Lisa and Kyle Hudson will attend Colorado School of Mines.
For a complete list of the 2015 honorees, please visit the Mile High Style blog: blogs.denverpost.com/style
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
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More pictures from this event denverpost.com/seengallery
A poignant service
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep marked its 10th year of providing remembrance portraiture to parents experiencing the death of a baby by hosting a gala at the Four Seasons Denver. Joanne Davidson has details in the Mile High Style blog blogs.denverpost.com/style
