CHILDREN’S DIABETES FOUNDATION

Aurora

News: When it comes to charitable fundraising events, the Carousel Ball has long been the hottest ticket in town. This year was no exception.

Snow and temperatures that had plunged into the teens didn’t stop 1,250 friends of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation from making their way to the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center on Oct. 28 to help raise $2.1 million for the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.

The 37th edition of this black-tie cocktail party and dinner featured a star-studded entertainment lineup: David Foster, whose 16 Grammys, an Emmy, a Golden Globe and three Oscar nominations speak to his talent as a composter, musician and producer; Katharine McPhee, an award-winning vocalist and actress who also is David Foster’s wife; Daniel Emmett, a Top 10 finisher on America’s Got Talent who is currently touring with Foster and McPhee; and, the iconic rock band Counting Crows.

Dana Davis, executive director of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, chaired the gala that also was the occasion to honor three people whose support has been invaluable to the group’s cause.

Dr. Satish Garg accepted the Founders Award for his “incredible service and dedication to the Barbara Davis Center and the role he has played in advancing adult diabetes care and clinical research.” Garg, who was born and raised in India, decided to specialize in diabetes care after watching his mother suffer, and succumb, to diabetes. He joined the faculty of the Barbara Davis Center in 1992 and subsequently founded its Adult Clinic. His clinical and clinical research team at the University of Colorado Denver is one of the top teams in the world in clinical trials involving insulin analogues and novel methods of insulin delivery.

Juli and Joe Smolen received the High Hopes Tribute Award for their support of and service to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. Joe Smolen is a senior executive with Empower. Juli Smolen is a former teacher who has also been a competitive CrossFit athlete. They have four children, including 19-year-old Abby, who has Type 1 diabetes.

It was Dana Davis’ diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes that spurred her parents, Barbara and the late Marvin Davis, to establish the Barbara Davis Center some 45 years ago. Now located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, the center is a leader in diabetes research and patient services, treating some 8,000 patients from all over the world each year.

Dana’s mother, Barbara, who lives in Los Angeles where she oversees a sister fundraiser, the Carousel of Hope Ball, was the Denver event’s honorary chair.

“Being here tonight is quite the opposite of what I felt when I was 7 and diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes,” Dana said. Back then, “I was so angry with it all and deathly afraid of needles. But Type 1 diabetes is what made me what I am today and (research conducted at) the Barbara Davis Center has led to so many advancements in how diabetes is treated. I am so very grateful.”

David Foster, who fulfilled his obligation as event host and entertainer despite a severe case of laryngitis, added his praise for the Barbara Davis Center by noting that, while a diabetes diagnosis can be frightening, it is the “one bright light in a parent’s worst day. And with your support tonight, things are getting brighter every day.”

A good portion of the gala’s proceeds – $950,000, to be exact – came from the live auction and paddle-raise called by auctioneer Halie Behr. The remainder came from sponsorships, ticket sales and other donations. Dexcom was the Presenting Sponsor; Gold Sponsors were Empower, Medtronic Diabetes and RBC Wealth Management; Silver Sponsors were Boomi, the GUESS Foundation, Bill and Deb MacMillan and Eva and David Schoonmaker.

Among the guests:

Richmond American Homes president David Mandarich and his wife, Bonnie

Katie Grassby, president of The Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, and her husband, Taylor

Steve Toltz, CEO, president and chairman of Dependable Cleaners, and his wife, Michelle

Rick Sapkin, founder and managing principal of Edgemark Development, and his wife, Shelly

Cindy Farber, whose late husband, Steve, was a founder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Dana Davis’s brother, Gregg Davis

Artist Duke Beardsley

The foundation’s executive and advisory board members included Arlene Hirschfeld, Dr. Richard Abrams, Shane Hendryson, Deidre and Shawn Hunter, Steve Lucas, Lori Finch, Stacy Robinson, Adrienne Fitzgibbons and Lisa Corley

About the organization: Founded in 1978, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes provides world-class care to children and adults living with Type 1 diabetes. Patients come to the center from 33 countries and 46 states and are taught how to prevent or delay complications. The center’s research is devoted to prevention, finding a cure, and the most effective treatment of diabetes and its associated disorders. The Children’s Diabetes Foundation is its fundraising arm.

Website: childrensdiabetesfoundation.org

Have news or announcements for the Nonprofit Register? Email nonprofits@coloradopolitics.com and include a contact name and number if more information is needed.