Denver Adaptive Divers 8th Annual Fundraising Dinner
We love events where there are lots of hugs and bright smiles. The ones that feel like a happy family reunion.The cool thing about Denver Adaptive Divers Annual Dinner & Fundraiser? The majority of these folks focus a lot of their free time on scuba diving activities. A quick check online says they’re in the company of maybe less than 1% of the U.S. population. Factor in that some of these divers have physical challenges to deal with and we’re in the “wow” category.
Tyler Wilson, service dog Bomber, Kendyll Gooding
On Sunday, Sept. 15, around 150 guests gathered at Rockleys’ Event Center in Lakewood to catch up with fellow diving enthusiasts and do some fundraising. The evening began with a silent auction and cocktail reception catered by Shelby Peterson’s Adventures Decanted team. DAD’s co-founders John Sherman and Janine Melberg were seen mingling and greeting guests with enthusiasm and warmth. One guest noted that she was posing for a picture with her dive buddy, responsible for co-managing her breathing underwater, giving “buddy” a whole new meaning. The reception was followed up with a plated dinner and program featuring inspiring keynote speaker Craig Vogtsberger. Injured in a near-fatal military accident, he went on to a No Barriers Warriors Mount Whitley climb, as well as numerous physical challenges included in Xterra triathlons. Steve Art and Doug Wulf presided over a lively live auction.
Co-founders Janine Melberg and John Sherman
Denver Adaptive Divers offers scuba-diving training programs that provide Open Water Diver certification to people with a variety of disabilities, providing them the opportunity to discover the freedom of movement underwater through scuba diving. Participants might have spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, be amputees, or visually and hearing impaired. This Colorado 501c(3) organization raises money to train, certify, equip and provide dive trips qualified participants. For more information, go to: https://www.denverdivers.com/denver-adaptive-divers.htm.
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- Spotlight Colorado registration reps (l to r): Founder Kenton Kuhn, Lauren Finesilver, Cody Spangler
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- Christine Block (left), Donita Hillfinger
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- Vince and Jamie Phelan
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- DAD co-founder John and sponsor (and John’s wife) Jeannette Doolittle
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- (l to r): Steve Art, Nate and Judi Persoff, Josh Benner
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- Ashton Stephenson family
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- Gary and Anna Olsen
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- Tables are readied for dinner.
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- At the reception
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- Linda Sundine (left), Madie Martinek
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- At the silent auction
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- Dive buddies Joan Nash, EB Forst
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- The event was catered by Shelby Peterson’s Adventures Decanted
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- Reps from sponsor Tensentric, creator of a new underwater data-collection device
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- The Tompkins family (l to r): Clara, Kevin and Michael
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- Guinevere Munib, Jessica Christy
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- DAD co-founder Janine Melberg (left) with a friend
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- DAD co-founders Janine Melberg and John Sherman
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- (l to r): Suzanne Dahlberg, David and Cynthia Bartmann
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- Spencer Alger (left), Kevin Tompkins
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- Front (l to r): Ryan Strong, Ashton Stephens; Back (l to r): Kasi Strong, Tori Weerman, Meghan Stephens
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- Auctioneers Steve Art (left), Doug Wulf
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- Front: Angela Tallman, Kitty Werner; Back (l to r): Laurie Chapman (in her “I dive like a girl…try to keep up” shirt), Judi and Nate Persoff
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- Front (l to r): Shelly Fowler, Dan Fowler, Blake Allen; Back (l to r): Kelley Fox, Logan Fuller, Matt Feeney
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- Tyler Wilson, service dog Bomber, Kendyll Gooding
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- (l to r): Judi and Nate Persoff, Britni Mini, Laure Camacho
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- Justin Batchelder (left) and Michael Tomkins
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- Kevin Reynolds, Brittany Tourelle
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- Christoff Zimmerman (left), Lindsay Rabbitt, Rick Zimmerman
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- John Sherman, Shelby Peterson
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- Nicole Alger group
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- Guests settle in for dinner.
