DENVER ZOO CONSERVATION ALLIANCE 

Denver 

News: As summer fades to autumn, and wardrobes switch from sundresses, flip-flops and shorts to sweaters, slacks and boots, there is one last hurrah for flirty, colorful pink attire: Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s Flock Party. 

Inspired by the DZCA’s Flamingo Habitat, home to a flock of American and Chilean flamingos, the annual Flock Party is the occasion for supporters to dress in outfits ranging from elegant to zany that incorporate a shade of pink for an evening that involves plenty of food, drink, music – and the traditional flamingo parade. 

Vince Abrue, senior vice president and Denver market president for InBank, chaired the Sept. 6 event with Lauren Napheys, a director at KPMG who focuses on technical accounting issues for global financial services companies.  

The 2,500 guests raised $1 million. 

This was the sixth year for the Flock Party, five of which have had Abrue in the leadership position. Napheys was putting in her second year as an event chair. 

Those holding the $350 VIP tickets – the Flockstars — arrived an hour before the gates opened for $150-a-ticket Birds of a Feather guests, giving them a head start on such activities as stingray feedings, chalk art demonstrations, fashion sketches, face painting, music from DJ Erin Stereo and tasty treats from the Bonanno Concept restaurants: Luca, Salt & Grinder, Dumplin’, Osteria Marco, Vesper Lounge, Mizuna and Salita. 

The fun continued throughout the night as guests were free to explore the zoo’s various wild animal habitats before gathering in the Zoo Garden for dancing to tunes from the 1980s by the 6 Million Dollar Band. 

Familiar faces in the crowd included Bert Vescolani, the DZCA’s president and chief executive officer; DZCA board chair Charles Scoggin and such fellow trustees as Meredith Coors, Marcela de la Mar and Chris Ross; Leanna Clark, CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado, and hubby Scott Remington, Denver tax principal at Grant Thornton Advisors; Simone Ross, president/CEO of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce; Mike Ferrufino, president/CEO of the Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Amanda Blaurock, executive director of the Village Exchange Center; lobbyist R.D. Sewald; Mary Nguyen, owner of the Oliver & Finch restaurants; and Tatiana Arguello, president and general manager of Telemundo Denver. 

About the organization: The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, formerly the Denver Zoo, is a nonprofit organization that cares for some 3,000 animals at its campus in Denver’s City Park neighborhood. The DZCA also participates in 600-plus wildlife conservation projects in 62 countries spanning six continents, where the DZCA team works with local communities to efficiently and responsibly address urgent threats to wildlife in an effort to save it for future generations. 

Website: denverzoo.org 

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