Chef’s Table: Eat. Drink. Gather. Gourmet.

The National Kidney Foundation of CO, MT and WY presented the third Great Chefs of the West Young Professionals (YP) event of 2009 at Gourmet Fine Catering on October 25.

Called “Chef’s Table: Eat. Drink. Gather. Gourmet.,” this YP event focused on the chefs of Gourmet Fine Catering and their culinary creations. Hosted at Gourmet’s 12,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, Gourmet’s top chefs showcased their culinary skills live in their own environment.   Guests had a behind-the-scenes look at a full-service, high-volume production kitchen and sampled an array of sizzling hors d’oeuvres. Entertainment was provided by the Jay-Koh Project and Ayo Awosika Trio.

Members of the Young Professionals Committee:

• Jim Guttau, chair
• Dana Berry
• Anne Donley
• Georgia Gallagher
• Jill Hodges
• Kasia Iwaniczko
• Jenny Salimi
• Jessica Hood
• Lea Tucker

The National Kidney Foundation of CO, MT and WY will host the 27^th Annual Great Chefs of the West on February 16, which will feature Denver’s greatest culinary talents. YP events throughout 2009 will help generate buzz amongst young professionals (ages 21-39) for the Great Chefs event. For more information, visit www.kidneycimw.org/gcotw.

Photo credit to Nate Jenkins.

Gourmet Fine Catering hosted the event in their state-of-art kitchen.

YP committee members: Jessica Hood, Jenny Salimi, Dana Berry, Anne Donley, Jim Guttau, Kasia Iwaniczko

Ayo Awosika performs.

Jessica Hood, Adam Dyer, Desiree Jackson

Lisa Saremi and Mary Shay

St-Germain was a featured sponsor of the event.

The Foundation Regional Vice President, Judy Norman, thanks the patrons.

Jay-Koh Project performs

Ania Iwaniczko, committee member Georgia Gallagher, Tamika Pumphrey

Scott Burrow of Vodka14 entertains Melissa Coenen Little and Jill Hodges, a committee member.

Amanda Bleck, Jenny Salimi, Tom Hewitt

Recent Kidney Transplant Recipient Ron Washington with YP Committee Chairman Jim Guttau

Nouveau at Night

On November 14, Ballet Nouveau Colorado (BNC) held their signature event,  Nouveau at Night, at the Westin Tabor Center.  Thanks to extremely generous guests, BNC netted nearly $35,000.

The evening was representative of the uniqueness of BNC – from the limited edition BNC photos sold in the silent auction to two intimate, energizing live performances by the BNC Company to the root beer floats for dessert.

Key guests included:
– Roxane White, Mayor’s Chief of Staff
– Melissa and Jeremy Oster, owners of Oster Jewelers
– Dean Prina, Denver philanthropist
– Dan Brogan, Editor and Publisher of 5280 Magazine
– Paul Lopez, Denver City Councilman
– Andrew Moore, Mayor of Erie

In 1992, this innovative organization was founded to provide quality arts education and outreach. BNC evolved into a professional contemporary dance company, presenting its first full season in 2002. In 2007, internationally renowned artists Garrett Ammon and Dawn Fay moved to Colorado upon their retirement from dancing to take the helm of BNC’s company. Under their visionary leadership, BNC is quickly gaining a national reputation for dedication to vibrant new work that is engaging and full of ideas. Though still a relatively young company, BNC was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” for 2009, a fitting honor for a company that is attracting a lot of attention.

For more information, visit http://www.bncdance.com.

The event co-chairs: Kim DeLashmit, left, with Nicole Mulvany and Rene Adema

Garret Ammon, BNC Artistic Director, left, and Dawn Fay, Associate Artistic Director

Lissy Garrison, Executive Director, left, with Ken Reinig, the master of ceremonies

Patti White, left, with Mark Briel, Robin Braun, chair of the BNC board, and Leanne Toler

Mike Rogue, left, with Gaelyn Feeney-Coyle, Denis Murstein and Roxane White, City of Denver Mayor’s Chief of Staff

Melissa Oster, left, and Jeremy Oster of Oster Jewelers

22nd Annual Denver Polo Classic (July 10-12, 2009)

The 22nd Annual Schomp BMW Denver Polo Classic Weekend is a three day event consisting of Capital Grille Black Tie Ball, Family Day, and Championship Day–all benefiting children’s charities. Held at the exclusive Polo Reserve, the event not only featured world class polo, but also exquisite wines and champagnes, a sampling of the region’s finest beers, and gourmet food from the finest restaurants in Denver.

Denver Polo Classic is the premier event of the Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit service organization for male business leaders between the ages of 20 and 39. For more information, visit http://www.denverpolo.org.

Auna Jornayvaz and Chris Barone

Anne Donley and Amy Rubin

Polo patrons gather at Polo Reserve for the Capital Grille Black Tie Ball.

Daniel Markofsky and Rick Janson

Mary Shay, Colleen Herskovits, Lisa Saremi

Sean Kelly and Adam Truitt

Photos by David Schmidt of 211 Photography: http://www.211photography.com.

CultureHaus Bash: Summer of Love

Held on June 25, Bash is a yearly recognition party for CultureHaus members and allows non-members an exclusive view into the organization.  This year’s Bash theme was “Summer of Love” in conjunction with the exhibition The Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area 1965-71. Darrin Alfred, AIGA Associate Curator of Graphic Design, gave exhibition tours throughout the evening.

With an attendance nearing 400, the event also featured 60s inspired beverages and edibles.

“We channeled our inner hippies for this event–the main membership drive for our organization,” commented CultureHaus Board Co-Chair Kasia Iwaniczko.

CultureHaus is the social and educational support group for the Denver Art Museum that targets  young professionals.  Visit http://www.culturehaus.com for more information.

Photo credits to Ryan Penn.

The Go-Go Dancers and Hippie Chicks

Exhibition Curator Darrin Alfred and Heather Owens, Event Chair

Georgina Kolber and Jenn McIntire

Josh Schiel and Chad Dickson

Kasia Iwaniczko, Jenny Salimi, and Amy Rubin

Dr. Gregory A. Buford, Theresa Sanford, and guest.

Terrance Carroll, Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, and Jenn Penn, incoming president of CultureHaus

Lisa Paddock, Heather Owens, Jim Guttau, Anne Donley

Great Chefs of the West YP at Second Home

The National Kidney Foundation of CO, MT and WY presented the second Great Chefs of the West Young Professionals (YP) event of 2009 at Second Home on May 21.

This YP event showcased nine guest bartenders—Chairperson Jim Guttau, Jenny Salimi, Anne Donley, Dana Berry, Georgia Gallagher, Jill Hodges, Kasia Iwaniczko, Amy Rubin, and Tracey Nilson from the foundation.  These bartenders mixed up the event’s signature drink, the Mor-jito (from Mor Beverage); all proceeds benefited the Foundation.

Photo credit to Nate Jenkins.

Mary Shay, Shannon Morken, Cliff Rosell, and Alecia Huck

Back row: Amanda Bleck, Lynn Hellickson, Tracey Nilson, Bekkah Erks, Jenny Salimi, Anne Donley, Kasia Iwaniczko, Tye Sheehey, Judy Norman, Amy Rubin. Front: Dana Berry, Jim Guttau, Jill Hodges.

The Foundation Staff: Tracey Nilson, Bekkah Erks, Executive Director Judy Norman, and Lynn Hellickson.

Anne Donley, Lydell Peterson, Kasia Iwaniczko

Alecia Huck and Lisa Saremi

Jill Hodges and Chris Rebich

Kelly Smith, Amy Rubin, Matt Evers

Tye Sheehey, Event Chair Jim Guttau, Amanda Bleck

Dahlia Weinstein and John Tobey

Brian Bartlett, Sarah Hettinger, Alex Lindquist

Nate Jenkins and Alecia Huck

Dana Berry, Jenny Salimi, Jim Guttau, Anne Donley, Kasia Iwaniczko, and Tye Sheehey

Anne Donley, Sameera Ahmed, Tom Hewitt, and Lindsay Carr.

Ben Fuchs and Susan Ber

Flavors of Denver

On April 22, the American Liver Foundation (ALF) raised more than $111,000 at its Flavors of Denver event. The event featured eighteen of Denver’s top chefs who came together to create an intimate and exclusive setting, each designing their own menu and preparing a five-course meal, complete with complementing wines, for one table of 10 guests.  Sean Huggard, Executive Chef of Encore and Black Pearl Restaurants, served as the Flavors of Denver Chef Chair.  Attracting 180 guests to the sold-out Exdo Event Center, Flavors opened with a cocktail reception in which a random drawing took place that paired the guest’s table with his or her chef for the evening.

“The Flavors of Denver event is a unique opportunity for Colorado residents to experience the culinary talents of some of the area’s top chefs,” said Regina Musyl, Rocky Mountain Division Vice President of the American Liver Foundation. “This is our tenth year and the event only gets bigger and better, as the caliber of chefs continues to grow.”

Chef Corey Cunningham of Baurs Ristorante

Guest Speaker Noel Johnson and her mother

Chef Stephen Vice of McCormick's with his guests

Chef James Rugile of Venue Bistro

Chef Aaron Whitcomb of Yia Yia's

DAM Uncorked

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) hosted the Ninth Annual DAM Uncorked Wine Tasting and Dinner & Auction fundraising events on April 17 and 18.

Despite the snow, over 700 guests enjoyed more than 350 wines from vintners around the world as they sampled hors d‘oeuvres from Bistro Boys Catering at the Friday evening Wine Tasting. The Saturday evening DAM Uncorked Dinner & Auction offered an evening of fine dining and exceptional wines, highlighted by both live and silent auctions.

The Denver Art Museum would like to thank the 2009 DAM Uncorked sponsors: Applejack Wine & Spirits, UMB Bank, Washington State Wine Commission, Small Vineyards, Exclusive Resorts, The Anschutz Corporation, Armstrong Oil & Gas, Hexagon Investments, Mike Leprino Family Foundation, Platte River Ventures, Bistro Boys Catering, FIJI Water and Christies.

For more pictures from DAM Uncorked, please visit

www.uncorked.shutterfly.com.  For more information about DAM Uncorked please visit www.denverartmuseum.org/uncorked.

DAM Uncorked Committee Members Tina Lovelace, Jeff Sporkin, and Todd Lytle

Lori & Doug Fugate (Owners, Small Vineyards and DAM Uncorked Committee Members), winemaker Maurizio Marchetti, and Luisa Herrera

Bill & Liz Armstrong and Wendy & David Lee (DAM Uncorked Co-Chairs)

Jim Shpall (Owner, Applejack Wine & Spirits) and Sarah & Chris Hunt (DAM Uncorked Committee Members)

Scott Reiman (DAM Trustee) and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

Gravely Wilson, Sally Chafee, Melanie Ulle and Laura West (DAM Staffers)

Kimberly Schreiner and Guest

Tom & Kate Briggs and Scott Boyer

Gatsby Nouveau benefiting Ballet Nouveau Colorado

On April 25, a roaring ‘20s theme party summoned the days of flappers and zoot suits.  Benefiting Ballet Nouveau Colorado, the event was hosted by board member Dr. Gregory A. Buford and co-hosted by Bradley Joseph, Holly Kylberg, and Diane Nagler, Andrew Kauth, and Robin Repass.

Raising over $16,000, Gatsby Nouveau gave guests the opportunity to participate in an open casting call for an exclusive Bachelor/Bachelorette Fantasy Date Auction; the twelve most eligible nominees will participate in the featured highlight of the second party in the series, Miami Nouveau on June 13.

For more information, visit http://www.bncdance.com/party.

Garrett Ammon and Dawn Fay (Artistic Directors, Ballet Nouveau Colorado), Lissy Garrison (Executive Director Ballet Nouveau Colorado), and, Dr. Gregory A. Buford (host)

Bradley Joseph (co-host), Holly Kylberg (co-host), Lissy Garrison, Diane Nagler (co-host), and Dr. Gregory A. Buford

Garrett Ammon, Dawn Fay, Dr. Gregory A. Buford, Lissy Garrison, and Ken Renig

Jake Jacobsen, Jana Rae Olsen, Elina Zavyalova, and Raz Gnat

Sue Shaffer (Board Trustee), Robin Repass (Board Member), and Lissy Garrison

Dr. Gregory A. Buford, Dan Brogan (Publisher 5280 Magazine), and Garrett Ammon

Stand Up! With Josh Blue and Kathleen Madigan

It was a night of laughter as Last Comic Standing winner, Josh Blue and award-wining comedian, Kathleen Madigan took to the stage to Stand Up! against child abuse and neglect on April 25 at the Temple Buell Theatre.

Patrons of the Kempe Foundation’s benefit performance event had the opportunity to customize their evening to include dinner, dessert or just a ticket to the show. Those attending the dinner and awards ceremony enjoyed an special dinner presented on the stage of the Temple Buell.

Proceeds from evening benefit Kempe, a non-profit organization, which was founded in 1976 by Dr. C. Henry Kempe to increase awareness, engage in advocacy and secure and provide resources for the work of The Kempe Center. The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect has been recognized as the world leader in child abuse treatment programs, and for over 40 years has been at the forefront in the fight against child abuse.

The event is Kempe’s largest fundraiser and is part of Kempe’s “Get Your Blue On” Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign for April. Taking “blue” to new heights, the color of the awareness ribbon and symbol for child abuse prevention will be seen in large scale on buildings in Denver throughout April as a reminder.

For more information, visit www.kempe.org

Dinner on stage: the US Bank table

Kempe Champions in superhero capes: Kelley McHale, Beth Stefl, Leigh Clasby, Pam Wharton, Ashleigh Sedbrook, and Mae Desaire.

Anne Trujillo, Channel 7 News Anchor; Michael Kalush; Kathleen Madigan; Kelly Jelniker; Mitch Jelniker, Channel 7 News Anchor

Rob Clyman MD, Executive Director, The Kempe Center; Hassan Salem, President, U.S. Bank Denver – Community Honoree Recipient; Jesse Wolff, President, The Kempe Foundation

Wendy Cohen, Josh Blue, Kathleen Madigan, and Steve Cohen, Board Chair

Event Co-chairs Dean Prina, MD and Patricia Barela Rivera

Georgia Imhoff, Board Member; Kathleen Madigan; Walt Imhoff, Board Member

Rachel Schroeder; Jake Schroeder, Lead Singer, Opie Gone Bad

22nd Annual Denver Polo Classic

22nd Annual Denver Polo Classic

July 10-12, 2009

The 22nd Annual Denver Polo Classic entails three days of exciting entertainment, with all proceeds benefiting local children’s charities. On the weekend of July 10-12, 2009, we will again take to the prestigious Polo Reserve Development in southwest Denver, set against the spectacular backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, where guests will enjoy top-notch polo matches, exquisite wines, champagnes, and beers, and gourmet food from some of the finest restaurants in Denver.

The event is organized by Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation which consists of young business leaders between the ages of 20 and 39 and raises money for disadvantaged children. Visit http://www.www.denverpolo.org for more information.