On a snowy, sloppy night when it would have been so easy to stay safe and warm at home, 500 dedicated souls braved the elements and made their way to the Seawell Grand Ballroom to take part in a dinner and youth entertainment showcase that raised $480,000 for the Kempe Center and its efforts to end child abuse and neglect.
The Kempe CAREs 2016 Blue Ribbon Gala was chaired by commercial real estate developer Skip Miller and Kareina Westlund, senior vice president and regional manager for U.S. Bank. Maureen and Ren Cannon and Melissa and Bill Mackiernan headed the corporate committee.
John Faught, president and CEO of the Kempe Foundation, is no stranger to public speaking — a talent that came in handy when 9News anchor Cheryl Preheim called to say her SUV was stuck in a snowbank and it didn’t look like it would be extricated in time for her to fulfill her duties as mistress of ceremonies.
Faught, who practiced law before taking on his current position with Kempe, served as her replacement, introducing the gala’s two honorees: Dr. Desmond Runyan and Hassan Salem. Runyan, executive director of the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, received the Kempe Professional Award; Salem, the Colorado market president of U.S. Bank, accepted the Imhoff Family Community Award.
Entertainment included performances by the Kent Denver School Jazz Combo, the Arvada Center Dance Academy, violinist Leslie Wilburn, the Intune String Ensemble and the Quincy Avenue Rhythm Band. Centerpieces, by DesignWorks, continued the child-centric theme by perching fuzzy Teddy bears on arrangements of yellow roses and other spring blooms.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or partiwriter@hotmail.com
More online: Who was there? Who else contributed to the gala’s success? There’s lots more about the Blue Ribbon Gala, and additional pictures, in the Mile High Style blog.
