DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

Denver

News: The founders of Fete des Fleurs were right when they concluded back in 1984 that those who support Denver Botanic Gardens would be more inclined to open their wallets if they weren’t subjected to an evening filled with long-winded speeches and live auctions that seemed to drag on forever.

They believed that more people would show up and larger donations would be received if Fete des Fleurs was an occasion where the beauty of the gardens, a delicious dinner and music for dancing were the attractions.

Thirty-eight years later, that vision held true as 710 people gathered at the gardens at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 26 to spend a leisurely 90 or so minutes enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while admiring the late summer blooms in the Oak Grove, Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion, Le Potager Garden and the Annuals Garden and Pavilion.

When Catering by Design staffers issued the call to dinner, guests of Presenting Sponsor GH Phipps were directed to the Woodland Mosaic Solarium. Others were seated in the Romanic Gardens, the UMB Amphitheater Tent, the Orangery and the Hive Deck.

By evening’s end, $495,000 had been raised through ticket sales and sponsorships; a final figure won’t be known until the text-to-give campaign concludes on Sept. 5. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so by texting FETE to 41444.

“We worked very hard to present Fete des Fleurs the way it should be – and the way we want it to be,” said Becky Schaub, who chaired the black-tie event with Lindsay Morton Gaiser. “It’s with everyone’s support that this elegant setting continues to provide respite, relaxation and inspiration for the local, national and global community.”

Brian Vogt, the chief executive officer of Denver Botanic Gardens, and board chair Michael Imhoff helped the co-chairs welcome such friends as:

• Lakewood City Manager Kathy Hodgson, who is also immediate past chair of the DBG board
• GH Phipps’ CEO, Kurt Klanderud
• Peter and Meredith Coors
• Former University of Colorado Denver Chancellor Dorothy Horrell
• Project C.U.R.E. President/CEO Doug Jackson
• Christine Benero, the president/CEO of Mile High United Way
• Julie Egan, chair of the 2022 Denver Debutante Ball, proceeds from which go to the gardens

About the organization: Denver Botanic Gardens is among the top five public gardens in North America, boasting more than 1.26 million visitors and maintaining some 50,818 membership households in 2021, the latest year for which figures are available. Its outreach programs benefit those living in food deserts by growing and distributing an estimated 80,000 pounds of fresh produce, much of which is given away for free. Educational programs serve 7,000 children in grades K-12 throughout the seven-county metropolitan area while adults can learn to plant vegetables, grow native and water-smart plants, compost, keep bees ad support pollinator habitats. The Chatfield Farms Veterans Farm Program trains post-9/11 veterans for farming careers and supports local small agricultural producers throughout the state.

Website: botanicgardens.org

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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the fundraising total raised by the event.