For the high rollers among us, $500,000 could be considered chump change. Easy come, easy go.
But for Beacon Youth and Family Center, raking in a cool half-mil is something to celebrate. It’ll go a long way in helping the residential treatment facility carry out its work in turning troubled lives around. Work, by the way, that began in 1970 when Beacon was founded as Court House, Inc.
Viva Vegas was the theme for Beacon’s 2008 Cherish the Children Gala. Jamie Angelich was the chief croupier; Annabel Bowlen and Pamela O’Neal served as honorary chairmen.
Bowlen, whose husband, Pat, owns the Denver Broncos, founded Cherish the Children Guild. O’Neal is in her second term as president of it.
Interior designers Marc Roth and Jim Pfister, whose clients have included the late New York hotelier Leona Helmsley, once again donated their talent to make the party area — the Hyatt Regency Tech Center’s grand ballroom — come alive. Expert use of color, lighting, glittery backdrops and flowers from Newberry Bros. combined for a look that was pure Vegas Strip.
Maureen Brooks of Brooks International booked the entertainment, a host of Sin City’s top impersonators who brought such showroom headliners as Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Cher, Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand to the Denver stage.
Costumed showgirls mixed and mingled during cocktail hour, and led the conga line that brought guests to their tables for a shrimp and chicken dinner. And when it came time for emcee Vic Lombardi to come to the stage, two of them escorted the CBS4 sports anchor to the microphone.
One of the people he introduced was his new colleague at CBS4, news anchor Karen Leigh, who turned quite a few heads in her white satin strapless cocktail dress. Both Lombardi and Leigh enjoyed their dinner with The Boss, CBS4 General Manager Walt DeHaven, whose wife, Wendy Aiello, served as gala public relations chair.
Intentionally or not, the entertainment wound up being interactive.
Never one to just sit on the sidelines, Jim Pfister didn’t hesitate when “Cher” spotted him at the Bowlens’ ringside table and pulled him on stage with her. She plopped a Sonny Bono-style wig on his head and instructed him to sing along. Dude can carry a tune! “You would have thought he was a plant but he wasn’t,” Jamie Angelich confirmed.
Also lured by the bright lights: committee member Suzy Hamilton, who strutted her stuff as an impromptu backup dancer to Tina Turner. “Those Texas girls know how to do it!” Angelich added.
Angelich, who came to Denver from her native Texas, was accompanied by hubby Alan, a retired founder of Janco Partners, and her sister and brother-in-law, Lynn and Jim Miles of Fort Worth.
Sharon Magness Blake and Ernie Blake headed the fund-raiser’s corporate committee, and filled their table with such friends as Dan and Aimee Sporer Caplis; Rich and Holly Kylberg (Rich was looking suave in a Sinatra-style hat and suit); David Alexander; and Yvonne and Bill McCallum.
Debra McKenney rounded up some amazing items for the live auction, but was unable to be there to see Paul Behr sell them for equally amazing prices. Don’t feel too sorry for her, though: She was celebrating her birthday in Italy.
Committee member Debi Medved helped Behr promote one of the items, a four-day, $20,000 trip to Lake Louise, Canada, for John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Celebrity Ski Weekend, which attracts the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Costner. With Medved’s help, it eventually sold for full price.
Ralph and Anne Klomp, owners of Trice Jewelers and recipients of the 2008 Golden Cherub Award for service to Beacon Center, donated a $58,000 diamond necklace for the auction; Lasik specialist Dr. Larry Spivak, there with Andrea Bankoff, stayed in the bidding right up to the minute when he was trumped by Charlie McNeil, who bought it for his wife, Judy.
A silent auction, arranged by Kay Burke and Dayla Newberry, was conducted during cocktail hour.
Not all of the nifty presents were up for sale, though. The gift bags, whose contents were obtained by Judianne Atencio, given to each couple included lip plumper and a makeup consultation from Laura Mercier and Neiman Marcus; a Drambuie liqueur miniature courtesy of Lukas Liquors SuperStore; a spa product and guest pass from Pura Vida and Nectar Spa; candle matches, also from Neiman Marcus; a 30 years of music CD donated by Morton’s DTC; certificates from ReJuv Spa and Palms Tanning Resort Certificate; full-size skin care products from Cosmetic Essence; jewelry polishing cloths from Trice; and a certificate that can be exchanged for a Dimension Z Golf Wedge.
Terry Vitale, publisher of Colorado Expression magazine, moved up the press date so gala-goers could take home the very latest issue. Not to be outdone, Denver Magazine publisher Michael Ledwitz, at the event with his wife, Wendy, claimed dibs for next year.
Forty-three people served on the planning committee, and a full 95 percent were there.
Others in the crowd of 600: Beacon Center Executive Director Anne Robinson; board president Michael Miller; Karen Dolan; big ticket sellers Sally Rogers and Andrea Gray; Kevin and Ann Reidy; Bonnie and David Mandarich; Marilynn and Ken Carroll (he’s president of Wild Blue Communications); Stephanie and Perry Odak; Diane Mager with beau Michael Martin; and Drs. Patrick Lillis and Kristin Baird, who had become engaged that very night.
Lillis and Martin also had birthdays that day, and so as a surprise to them, the committee had decorated their table with hats, horns and streamers.
Dick Saunders was there minus girlfriend Jeanne Portmann, who was out of town; Judi Wolf, who is chairing the June 21 National Repertory Orchestra Summer Gala; Neyeska and Steve Mut, who were high bidders on a Malcolm Farley original in the live auction and a fur vest from Andreas’ Furs in the silent bidding; Michael Dunahay; Bob and Ruth Beriault; John and Andrea Dikeou; Kelly (in a vintage white dress that had belonged to her mother) and David Storrs; Julia and Sarah Peay (Julia got the “award” for buying the most items in the silent auction); Denise Snyder, owner of Mariel’s in Larimer Square; Nancy and John Sevo, who were fresh from a Florida vacation; Lisa and Dr. Rick Schaler (who donated a $3,000 Mixto Micro Fractional Laser treatment); Jane and Skip Netzorg; Judith Hirsch Walker and Jim Walker; Diane Metz Kreider with husband and ReMAX executive John Kreider; Linda Christie Horn with Steve Robbins; Deana Perlmutter; and John Faught.
Quote of the evening: “If you died too rich, then maybe you lived too poor…” Ralph Klomp in his acceptance speech, quoting his father.
Pictures taken at Viva Vegas are at denverpost.com/seengallery.
Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com
