| | Denver Dances the Night Away for CF
December 6, 2007
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would have felt right at home. At the Colorado Chapter’s Dancing with Denver 2007 gala, held at the Brown Palace Hotel on November 17, 315 guests tripped the light fantastic and raised more than $556,000 for the CF Foundation.
“This gala highlighted what a generous community Denver is,” said Teresa Elder, a CF parent and co-chair of the event with her husband, Bill Elder. “It was inclusive of the entire CF community, from those with CF of all ages to the doctors and professionals that support them and the family and friends who are helping us find a cure.”
Throughout the evening, local dance troupe “Adventures in Dance” performed an array of dances from the tango to the Charleston. In between performances, guests happily took to the dance floor themselves. There were “I Love To Dance” buttons for the enthusiasts and “Two Left Feet” buttons for the abstainers, but either way, a fabulous time was had by all.
Breath of Life Award winners Mike and Kathleen Beatty pause between dances
at the gala. |
Mike and Kathleen Beatty were honored with the 2007 Breath of Life Award. For more than 20 years, Mike and Kathleen have generously supported the CF Foundation through events such as the American Airlines Celebrity Ski. Their unflagging dedication to the cause of finding a cure brought thunderous applause.
In fact, it was a night of standing ovations, and a night of tears (the best possible kind) as guests heard the stories of individuals living with CF and others touched by the disease. From Bryan Warnecke, a nine-year-old with CF who donated his NHL-autographed hockey stick for the live auction, to John Sackett, who has lived with CF for more than 50 years, each story touched the guests in a special way and highlighted the ongoing need for support.
The bidding—and the emotions—reached a peak after a taped message from John was played. “I never thought I’d make it to 50,” he said. My birthday is next week and I’ll be 51…Thank you for opening your hearts and pocketbooks to help us find this cure.” John’s Bid for a Cure speech, followed by a message of hope from CF parents Melissa and Shane Nolan, raised more than $365,000 for Bid for a Cure—and within less than 10 minutes!
Special thanks go to gala committee chairs Bill and Teresa Elder and other committee members including Mary Brunick, Emily Ford, Jeannine Hansen, Bill and Dawn Herndon, Hillery Meier, Shirley Mitchell, Lesia Rehl, Billie and Rich Rommes, Annemarie Roy, Jill Stark and Wendy Warnecke.
A large group of sponsors made the event possible, including ARRIS; Atkinson and Thal, PC; Mike and Kathleen Beatty; The Brunick Family Foundation Charter Communications; The Children’s Hospital; The Children’s Partners Foundation; The Clark Family; The Colbert Family Foundation; Bill and Teresa Elder; FirstBanks of Colorado; Holme, Roberts and Owen, LLP; Jack and Lynn Londen; Juniper Networks; Markwest Hydrocarbon, Inc.; The Melville Family Foundation; Mitchell Brown and Associates; Mountain Chalet Aspen; National Jewish Hospital; Scientific Atlanta; Mike and Dianne St. John; StarTek, Inc.; and Michael Wozniak.
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