By Glory Weisberg
Glory WeisbergSociety Editor
The Denver Center Alliance is launching a brand new benefit, Theatre Threads. It’s first event is Oct. 15, a “Runway Costume Show,” featuring Alliance members modeling costumes from the theatre’s closet.
Lisa Daniel-Johnson and Alliance President-elect Jill Behr are co-chairs, working with staffer Linda Mitchell who was point person in approaching the concept.
“We have put this together quickly and are very excited about the positive response we are getting,” Behr said. “There are over 1,000 costumes from the Denver Center Theatre’s 30 years of productions.
Lisa Daniel-Johnson
“Twenty-one ladies and one man have agreed to model. The DCPA is working hard to put together a show that is uniquely ours. We plan on entertaining and informing our guests about these treasured costumes.”
The models list so far: Jamie Angelich, Jill Behr, Kay Burke, Edna Chang-Grant, Keri Christiansen, Isabelle Clark, Sharon Cooper, Lisa Daniel-Johnson, John Farnum, Layne Fleishman, Gail Johnson, Susan Kiely, Diane Kremer, Arlene Mohler-Johnson, Stephanie Odak, Lois Paul, Adrienne Ruston Fitzgibbons, Amy Slothower, Debbi Tepper, Faye Washington and Judi Wolf.
For information, call Christopher Goetz at 303-446-4815 or e-mail him at cgoetz@dcpa.org to RSVP as even I am convinced this fun lunch will quickly sell out and bring in lots of potential new Alliance members.
Bansbach Academy needs donations
The Denver Children’s Home is asking for donations to their accredited, onsite school, the Bansbach Academy. Among the supplies on their list that you can select when buying items for your own family: spiral notebooks, loose leaf notebook paper, colorful or white poster board, pencils and pens, glue sticks, markers, pencil sharpeners and scissors, as well as home and garden, sports and art magazines for collage artwork. For information on how to drop off the items, call Holly Kerr, 720-881-3366. The campus is located at 1501 Albion St., Denver, 80220.
By the way, their White Nights Gala is Aug. 27 at the Hudson Gardens & Event Center in Littleton.
‘Ladies of Liberty’
With that in mind, let me tell you about an interesting piece of American history as chronicled in the book, Ladies of Liberty, by TV reporter Cokie Roberts. This book is a compilation of letters between the first four American president’s wives and Roberts’ bridge research. In 1806, Eliza Hamilton, widow of Alexander Hamilton, “banded with some of the other socially conscious women of New York to form the Orphan Asylum Society, the forerunner of orphanages founded by concerned women in other cities around the country.”
Isabella Graham started the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children, going on to focus on the orphan children themselves.
“If the mothers died, the children were likely to end up on the streets, or be thrown into the poorhouse with unsavory adults.”
Roberts takes information from the Society’s history, written in 1893, “The young daughters of these ladies” were taught to sew and read but the needs and numbers of orphans grew beyond what donors could support and “these ladies resolved that a public appeal should be made.” Mrs. Hamilton set up a shelter for 12 children, got a constitution, incorporated and formed a board of trustees. But there was one problem in that era, women weren’t allowed to own property if they were married so they “placed an unmarried woman in the treasurer’s seat so a married woman’s husband couldn’t get his hands of the organization’s money.” The Orphan Asylum Society, now 200 years old, and actually started by Aliza Hamilton, still operates in New York.
This fascinating look into the nation’s early culture also delves into Catholic nuns’ orphanages in detail and the book becomes a real page-turner, as Dolley Madison worked to start the Washington Female Orphan Asylum. All did not go easily for Dolley in Washington and the effort is a great read for all present day volunteers and socialites, detailing menus for dignitaries and touchy diplomatic etiquette.
Wedding Showcase
The Denver Botanic Gardens has a Wedding Showcase, Sept. 16, 5-9 p.m. where more than 40 wedding professionals will be spread throughout the Gardens. Among them: bridal shops, wedding cakes and desserts, photographers, officiates, wedding planners and even wedding babysitters. When you enter the garden you’ll get a passport and sample catering items as well as getting a preview of the Garden’s wedding sites, opening their booking calendars before they’re open to the public. Tickets are $10 in advance at botanicgardens.org.
Artists of Greenwood Village
And while on the subject of the Botanic Gardens, note that kick-off queen Sharon Whiton Gelt is focusing on flowers, literally. Her all occasion cards are just beautiful, some shot in her own Greenwood Village yard. Her work is part of the Artists of Greenwood Village, Aug. 16-Sept. 17, with an Artist Reception, Aug. 28, 5:30-7 p.m. So drop by on your way to dinner or other event. The show is at the Curtis Arts & Humanities Center at 2349 E. Orchard Road, just west of the S. University intersection. For specifics visit www.greenwoodvillage.com.
Avista features Randy Travis
Western music lovers and fashion followers’ alert: Randy Travis headlines the Avista, Littleton, Parker and Porter Adventist Hospitals Heart of Hearts Gala, Oct. 30, at the Sheraton Denver. Proceeds benefit the cardiovascular departments and this is a full, sit-down dinner with silent auction and social hours. Reach the facilities at heartofheartsgala.org.
‘How Philanthropy Shaped a City’
The Denver Foundation is putting on “How Philanthropy Shaped a City, a Conversation with Denver’s Top Cultural CEOs,” Sept. 1, at the Denver Zoo Samburu Patio and Norgren Hall. On the panel are Brian Vogt, CEO of the Denver Botanic Gardens; Dan Ritchie, president of the DCPA; Denver Zoo Foundation leader Craig Piper, Denver Art Museum director Christoph Heinrich and Denver Museum of Nature & Science president and CEO George Sparks. Call Josie Stewart at 303-376-4863.
Go ‘Over the Edge’ Aug. 27-28
Cancer League of Colorado would like to send you Over the Edge of One Lincoln Place, downtown, Aug. 27 and 28. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is coming to the pre-event, Aug. 27 and you can join him.
Here’s the scoop: You can rappel down the outside of the building if you donate or raise $1,000 to support in-state, unduplicated cancer research. The University of Colorado Cancer Center sources say that for every dollar Cancer League raises for early, pre-NIH research they later garner $20 in research. That’s from Dr. Paul Bunn, former Colorado Cancer Center director.
If you or a loved one has or had cancer you know how critical this research is and if you want to have the time of your life check out the details at cancerleague.org or call Rachel Neumann at 303-947-6781. The event is being chaired by Rachel Neumann. Working with her are Cancer League president, Gary Reece, former president, Martha Jentz, Jeff Smith, Dianne Miller, Rhonda Sheya, Tom Higgins, Peter Hodges, Emily Portocarrero and others. Quinn Washington is Young Pros chairman.
From the beginning, Cancer League has been committed to supporting cancer research and has raised and dispensed approximately $4,000,000 to support Colorado research, patient care and family programs. Cancer League grants have been made to projects across Colorado and have helped thousands of individuals and families fight cancer.
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