2015 Little Hearts Luncheon and Fashion Show

This year’s paparazzi arrived in full force and quickly gathered along the makeshift catwalk set up at Wings Over the Rockies museum. Guests scrambled with cameras, tablets, smartphones, and digicams to capture more than two dozen models featured at the Little Hearts Luncheon and Fashion Show. Proud parents, families, physicians and guests celebrated successful outcomes for the young heart patients celebrating their new lives ahead. And, thanks to passionate event organizer and hostess Lyn Schaffer, this year marked the 30th anniversary of this fun-filled event which benefits Children’s Hospital Colorado Heart Institute–one of the nation’s premier facilities for specialized cardiac surgeries.

More than 300 attended the Friday, April 10 party at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver’s Lowry neighborhood. Lyn and her husband, Dr. Michael Schaffer, CHC Foundation staff, and a team of dedicated volunteers, oversee the luncheon and kids fashion show featuring 30 young heart patients who are happily thriving thanks to surgeons, nurses and healthcare professionals.

Lyn Schaffer thanked the guests for their support and introduced emcee, 9News anchor Kim Christiansen, who provided running commentary for the models/patients ranging in age from 6-year-olds to older teens.

Fashions were provided by Dillard’s with hairstyles and makeup overseen by Irene Zimmer and her team at 3rd Ave Studio and partners at Simply Moore. The models were accompanied by friends, families, volunteers, physicians, firefighters from South Metro Fire Rescue, and four-legged friends from CHC’s Prescription Pets Program, which includes dog-assisted therapy and pet visitation services. Dr. Michael Schaffer, a CHC pediatric cardiologist, awarded Dr. Max Mitchell the Heart Who Cares Award.

Special thanks went to Presenting Sponsors Anna and John J. Sie Foundation; Clothing Sponsor: Joyce F. Daily, Houston, Texas;  Premier Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. Greg Ruzicka; and Supporting Sponsors: Biscuits and Berries, and Mike and Cyd Rodriguez.

Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Heart Institute is ranked among the top 20 pediatric hospitals in the nation for heart care and surgery and is led by pediatric cardiologist Dr. Dunbar Ivy and pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. James Jaggers.

It is one of only eight stand-alone pediatric research centers in the nation and one of the fastest-growing pediatric cardiac programs. The institute is comprised of more than 15 departments, including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, heart transplant, and other specialties.

The Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation funds high quality care, support to families of patients and research into pediatric disease. Serious pediatric disease is extremely stressful for patients and their families and the Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds to ease the burden of these families.  In addition, the research they fund helps to decrease the number of children needing treatment.

Upcoming Foundation fundraisers include Children’s Colorado Hoops Fest on May 2 and Climb for Courage Stair Climb on June 27. For more information visit: childrenscoloradofoundation.org