NONPROFITS AROUND TOWN: Saluté the Heart Ball

Saluté

It was an Italian evening to tip the glasses. To call out “Bravo” to arias and the familiar serenades from Italian gondola rides in the movies.

To raise a “Toast to Your Health” saluté to heart disease survivors, to the medical professionals and to the sponsors and patrons of the 27th annual Heart Ball.

There was much to celebrate at the always popular black-tie fundraiser, held Feb. 20 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort.

Preceded by the lilting sounds of Judeth Shay Burns, Deborah Morrow, the Central City Opera Singers and the Colorado Springs Conservatory singers, there were cheers from the 380 patrons for the evening’s honoree, vivacious Mary Frances Betka. Arm in arm with her sons Alex and Zachary, she talked about surviving three heart surgeries after being born with a congenital heart defect. One surgery was hours after she gave birth. Her sons disclosed that both are interested in medical fields because of their mother and one plans to be a cardiologist. That brought tears to their mom, grandparents Ellie and Jim Creegan and Mary Frances’ sisters, Jackie Thompson and Kim Smith.

A 27-year American Heart Association volunteer, Paulette Greenberg offered a saluté toast to what has been accomplished so far and how the Heart Ball has grown. That brought smiles to association director Leslie McGinn and events coordinator Diane Loschen, who later tallied up $110,000 for the evening.

“You started a wonderful thing,” Penrose-St. Francis Health Services CEO Margaret Sabin told Greenberg.

Then Sabin cautioned the audience that there is still much to be done. “The children of the Baby Boomer generation are not projected to live as long as us,” she said. “We’re not doing such a good job with the health of our children.” But, she said, “We can make a difference.”

Emcees Shannon Brinias and Don Ward and auctioneer Joel Burlingame all had personal reasons for being involved with the Heart Ball. For Burlingame it’s his 8-year-old daughter who has already had three heart surgeries. Similar  stories were told throughout the elegant ballroom.

Even with its serious cause, the Heart Ball maintained its sense of filled-with-fun fundraising as well. Kellie and Brad Kreikemeier ended up the top bidders for a Western party for 40 at Jim and Donna Maguire's Maguireville in Monument -- with a little good-natured prodding from Kevin Maguire. And, it appears, Kreikemeier also became the owner of Maguire's stuffed beaver — a real one -- from the silent auction table.

The auctioneer helped the crowd limber up their auction-paddle arms with a little practice bidding on Cheyenne Mountain Resort. The $100 bid was a tad low, so he teased them upward to, oh, $10 million and then $20 million or so. Caught up in the laughter was resort General Manager Laura Neumann.

Enjoying the evening were Brian Metz and his children Robbie and Jessica, Doug and Patty Schellman, Rich and Mary Carroll, Wynne Palermo, Larry and Cari Shaffer, Nancy Engel, Melissa and Eric Koinzan, Jill and Tim Merritt,  and Wendy Pearce Nelson's photo team from Blue Fox Photography. John McGinn turned gondalier for the evening.

Serving on this year’s Heart Ball Committee: Susanne Arens, Julie Armstrong, Jeanne Carberry, Charles Davis, Amy Diedrich, Marlene Dorey, Vickie Drew, Jen Hurley, Mariella Irivarren, Amanda Mountain, Kimberly Nolan, Holly Oliphant, Melodie Owens, Carolyn Pope, Stacey Roselle, Sharon Siedler, Renata Tylka, Shelly Vanderlinde, Betka and Greenberg.

Fondue for charity

Tracy Carlson of The Melting Pot reports a busy Community Outreach 2010 program, and they’re already receiving requests from nonprofits for 2011.

In January, the restaurant raised more than $1,500 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation through the sales of Big Night Out dinners, wine bottle specials and the donation line on their chit.

February supports Memorial Hospital Foundation for the Children’s Hospital and it also included the Valentine’s Day package automatically donating $1 to the hospital.

Upcoming: March, CASA; April, TESSA; May, Silver Key Senior Services; June, Care and Share Food Bank; July, Catholic Charities; August, Humane Society of Pikes Peak Region; September, Colorado Springs Chorale and October, Bob Telmosse’s Christmas Giveaway.
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For an updated list of 2010 nonprofit fundraisers: tinyurl.com/yc93aew or coloradosprings.com. Send information about nonprofit fundraisers to linda.navarro@gazette.com or mail to Linda Navarro, P.O. Box 1779, Colorado Springs, 80901.