The Denver Debutante Ball destined to be the proverbial “one for the record books” was held Dec. 22 at the Brown Palace Hotel. 

And not just because there were so many prominent names among the 48 debutantes and 1,100 guests. 

Rather, it was the lengths the committee had to go through to ensure that the ball could uphold its 65-year tradition as what is arguably considered Denver’s most glamorous social event. 

More importantly, the ball has been a key source of income for two Denver nonprofits. It began as a fundraiser for what was then the Denver Symphony Orchestra, raising $4 million for it between 1956 and 2011. Starting in 2012, the ball has benefited Denver Botanic Gardens, with proceeds of some $650,000 to date. 

No one wanted a repeat of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the ball to be canceled. But with the highly transmissible Omicron variant gaining traction in the United States, the committee chaired by Suzanne Coxhead and co-chaired by Julie Egan knew they had to keep everyone’s safety in mind. 

They required proof of vaccination or negative PCR test to be submitted in advance. They included a liability waiver and release of claims in each guest’s registration packet. In keeping with Denver’s public health order that mandates mask-wearing for everyone age 2 and older while in a public indoor space, they requested that everyone remain masked until dinner was served. 

However, strict adherence would have meant that the debutantes, their presenters and escorts, along with the master of ceremonies and receiving line, would have to remain masked not just for pictures but the presentation itself. 

No one wanted that, so Coxhead and her committee appealed the mask mandate with city officials. It was an exhaustive process, but they prevailed, promising to keep each debutante, her presenter and escort masked until they began their descent down the grand staircase leading to the hotel’s rotunda lobby, where they curtsied to the 14-member receiving line. 

The debutante Class of 2021 was made up of: 

Paige Alexander, an international business major at Elon University in North Carolina; Annabel Benes, an environmental studies major at Ohio Wesleyan University; Megan Branish, a public relations major at the University of Alabama; Delaney Cain, a sophomore at the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder; Paige Cherubini, a fashion merchandising and retail major at Johnson and Wales University; Cassidy Christian, an industrial labor relations major at Cornell University; Charlotte Danos, who is studying finance in the Pre-Wall Street Program at Wake Forest University; Ella Davey, who is studying philosophy, politics and economics at Durham University in England; and, Emily DeLine, who is taking a gap year with the intent of attending Creighton University in the fall. 

Andersen Dodge, a member of the CU President’s Leadership Class at Leeds School of Business; Alexandra Emerson, an environmental studies and biology student at Pitzer College; Grace Faircloth, who is enrolled in the Hotel School, SC Johnson School of Business at Cornell University; Reeve Ferlic, who is studying neurology and food sciences at the University of Vermont; Catherine Ford, a geography major at Colorado State University; Elizabeth Ford, who is on the lacrosse team at Washington and Lee University; Avery Frank, former captain of the Cherry Creek High School varsity poms team now attending the University of Kansas; and, Anna Fucarino, a marketing major at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. 

Twins Catalina and Lucinda Alvarado Geller are the granddaughters of businesswoman-philanthropist Linda Alvarado. Catalina is in a five-year bachelor of arts/bachelor of fine arts degree in painting and art history at Parsons School of Design in New York, while Lucinda is majoring in political science, public policy and economics at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University. 

Alexandra Haymons, is studying biology and art at Colorado College; Eliza Hill is studying chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University, while her twin sister, Nicole, a former state champion in tennis and basketball at Cherry Creek High School, is also attending Vanderbilt and is a member of the Student Volunteers for Science. 

Julia Honnen is a singer-songwriter studying at Berklee College of Music; Gretchen Hummel is studying health and exercise science and behavioral psychology at Colorado State University; Eleanor Hunt, daughter of Sarah Anschutz and Christopher Hunt, is a freshman at Princeton University, where she is studying history and philosophy; Abigail Jacobson, is studying biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin; Annabelle Johnson is majoring in environmental science at the University of California-Berkeley; Taylor Lester, granddaughter of philanthropists Sharon and Lanny Martin, is on the Dean’s List at Ohio Wesleyan; and, Catherine Lord plays lacrosse at the University of Southern California, where she is a student in the Marshall School of Business. 

Grace Madden plans to pursue degrees in neuropsychology and equine sciences at Goucher College following a semester abroad; Margaret Maloy, a seventh-generation Coloradan, is a forensic chemistry major and Provost Scholar at the University of Mississippi; Anna Marks was a peer leader at the Dawson School and is attending Baylor University; Ashley Matthews is a business major at Lake Forest College; Tillie Pinkowitz is studying environmental engineering at Colorado State University; Alexandra Pook is majoring in business administration at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Ellen Possehl is a strategic communication major at CU-Boulder; Hailey Rhine was recruited by Gettysburg College to play on its field hockey team; Lane Rippey is a biology major on the pre-veterinary track at Texas Christian University; and Emily Rudnick, a student at CU-Boulder, owns and runs her own company, Rudspice. 

Hayden Schwartz is in nursing school at the University of Missouri; Allison Smith is studying law and psychology at the University of Kansas; triplets Annabelle, Charlotte and Lillian Swenson are graduates of St. Mary’s Academy. Annabelle attends Colorado College, Charlotte is at New York University and Lillian attends Baylor University. 

Sarah Wagner is pursuing degrees in neurology and criminal psychology at Texas Christian University; Rylie Ward, a student at Creighton University, plans to pursue a career in medicine; Elizabeth Waters is studying psychology and neuroscience at Northeastern University and Abigail Wilkinson is an accounting major in the business school at Texas Christian University. 

In addition to the 2021 debutantes, the evening also was the occasion to recognize 17 post-debutantes – those who were presented during a previous year’s ball. 

The post-debutantes included Kathleen Cecily Coors, the daughter of Brad and Kathy Coors, and Madeleine Taylor Hunt, a granddaughter of Phil and Nancy Anschutz.