A luscious blue Colorado sky never meant so much to someone as it did for MeganPeddycord, chair of Dinner in White, a premier fundraising event for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Last year, the event was rained out even before it began. This year was not to be a repeat poor-weather performance.
“Look at all these blue skies,” Sara Peddycord, Megan’s mom and faithful supporter, gleefully reported.
“The committee was incredible, so enthusiastic,” said Megan with pride. “It was so important that it happen this year so we could get the momentum going again.” Although once slightly dampened, the event is solidly set in Denver’s social scene. In 2010, the Association of Fundraising Professionals named it “Best Special Fundraising Event”. The gathering, organized by a committee of young professionals, models Paris’s annual Diner Blanc.
This year, more than 250 people found their way to the party’s whereabouts. The location was kept under wraps until one hour before start time. Dot and Dan Bonnel enjoyed the anticipation.
“It was exciting and mysterious; such a clever idea,” said the giddy couple as they came through the entrance gate. They found their way perfectly to the towering white Eiffel Tower, a signature piece of the event, placed on Larimer Street between 32nd and 33rd.
An array of vendors lined the street from Le Central, with its outlay of inviting, delicious French pastries to the sweet, clean smells from MIG Soap & Body Co to the knock out coolness of everything in the Denver Fashion Truck. The mobile boutique owner DesireeGallegos gratefully acknowledged the gift of a clear evening.
“The temperature is perfect. It’s just a gorgeous night,” she said. “I love that they have it later in the summer when the air is cooler. We’ll be back again and again.”
Founder of the urban winery Infinite Monkey Theorem Ben Parsons shared his heart when he spoke about his support for cause. He lost his father to colon cancer one year after the diagnosis.
“I started this business inspired by my father. We had always talked about creating a winery together.” He is an incredible supporter of the center, donating thousands of dollars and contributing an abundance of wine to the center’s events.
In short: Pour la beauté de la France à Denver, la simplicité magnifique de blanc viennent dîner en blanc. Rendez-vous l’année prochaine mon ami!
The University of Colorado Cancer Center is a consortium of three state universities, including the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Colorado Denver and Colorado State University, and six institutions (University of Colorado Health, a network comprised of University of Colorado Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies and Memorial Hospital; Children’s Hospital Colorado; Denver Health, Denver VA Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Colorado and National Jewish Health).
Tyler Carner, Irene Weygandt, Courtney Fischer, Lauren White , Lindsay Gemberling , Zach Smith, Brittany Wangsness, Taylor Bakemyer, Jeremy Andrews, Nicole Rodriguez
Speaker:
Ben Parsons, owner of Infinite Monkey Theorem
Sponsors:
Gold Sponsor: Prestige Audi; Silver Sponsor: Alpine Branding; Bronze Sponsor: Four Seasons Hotel; Vendors and In-kind Donors: Infinite Monkey Theorem, Urban Winery, Geri’s Gems – A Chloe and Isabel Boutique, Country Fair Garden Center at Westwoods, Dads and Dudes, Great Divide Brewery , Le Central, HCI Fundraising, MIG Soap and Body CO , Denver Fashion Truck, DJ Chonz
Menu:
Salad Picnic Basket: Les Salades ~ all prepared fresh to order (choose 1): Niçoise: Tuna served over mixed greens with olives, red onion, haricots verts, boiled potatoes, tomato and hard boiled egg ,roasted tomato olive oil vinaigrette; Betterave: Colorado beets, orange segments, walnuts and crumbled goat cheese over a bed of spinach with Balsamic Vinaigrette; La Cobb: Grilled chicken served over mixed greens with bacon, ham, blue cheese, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, and red onion, balsamic vinaigrette; Boeuf: Grilled steak presented over mixed greens with blue cheese, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and a lightly salted gauffrette potato chip, red wine vinaigrette; Les Desserts (choose 1): Macarons: Light chocolate cookies layered with chocolate ganache; Galette au Chocolat: Classic chocolate chip cookie with a French twist ~ white, milk and dark chocolate chips baked into a delectable cookie; Assiette de Fromage: Bleu d’Auvergne, Montrachet Chêvre, Port Salut, and St. Albray Seasonal fruits, candied walnuts, and croutons cheese’s are subject to change with availability; Assiette de Charcuterie: An assortment of our house made pâtés served with cornichons, red onion, Kalamata olives, roasted bell peppers, and Dijon mustard
Attire:
Everything white
Ticket Prices:
$50 Includes: cocktails, dessert, entertainment and a smashing time. Please bring a picnic dinner. VIP Ticket: $100 Includes: all of the above PLUS reserved seating and dinner.