NATHAN YIP FOUNDATION 

Greenwood Village 

News: If predictions for the lunar Year of the Fire Horse hold true, 2026 will be a time of intense energy filled with big changes, fresh starts, and new opportunities, so long as one maintains a steady hand and a sense of clear direction to avoid whatever chaos may result. 

At its annual Chinese New Year Gala, the Nathan Yip Foundation demonstrated its head start on those qualities by announcing a strategic turning point in its mission of supporting schools in rural areas of Colorado: The launch of a multi-year grant model that deepens the foundation’s investment in rural education by uniting teacher-led vision with district-level leadership and long-term sustainability. 

Bayfield School District, Deer Trail 26 J School District, Garfield RE-2 School District, Hinsdale County School District and South Routt School District RE-3 are the first to receive the three-year funding for studies that will prepare students for careers in fields that include the health sciences, construction trades, agriculture, digital manufacturing technology, hands-on STEM learning, natural resources and information technology. 

The gala, chaired by Lynn Luce and held at the Marriott Denver Tech Center, also paid tribute to Dr. Larry Chan, a founding board member and lifetime trustee of the Nathan Yip Foundation, co-founder of the American Transplant Foundation, professor of medicine and director of Transplant Nephrology Research and Development at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. 

Joined by her brother, Jeff DeMarino, Luce shared with the 450 guests that Chan brought “Calm, clarity and compassion” to her family as their mother, Elizabeth Hamilton Bardsley, was treated for a complicated illness. “He is a doctor who believes that your responsibilities don’t end at the hospital door,” she said. “He supported and guided our family through a very challenging life experience, and we believe the world is a better place because of him.” 

Title Sponsor Melly Kinnard also credits Chan with saving her life when she experienced a medical emergency while traveling abroad. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the care he arranged and the compassion he has continued to show,” she said. 

“I am truly honored and humbled to be honored in your mother’s name,” Chan said, adding that he is “Filled with pride to see how far the Nathan Yip Foundation has come since its founding.” 

The gala began with a social hour where guests enjoyed cocktails, silent auction bidding and hors d’oeuvres that included steamed dumplings, chicken satay and vegetable spring rolls.  

Once guests took their seats in the hotel ballroom, Grammy Award-winning bass Wei Wu and Erika Chiu opened the program with a song selected specially for the occasion.  

The family-style dinner of traditional Chinese New Year dishes began with the salad “toss to prosperity,” where guests used chopsticks to mix the salad ingredients, tossing it high to ensure good fortune would follow. 

Kevin Tung, a chef and co-founder of the Nathan Yip Foundation, advised the Marriott kitchen staff on creating the night’s menu, selecting dishes that blended taste, symbolism and artistry – such as kung pao snapper (fish symbolizes abundance and prosperity), ginger-braised chicken (chicken represents family unity, wholeness, good fortune and rebirth) and lo mein noodles. Eaten uncut, long noodles signify a long and happy life. 

Former 7News anchor Anne Trujillo put in her 24^th year as the gala’s emcee; JJ Raterink called the live auction and board chair Alan Frosh joined executive director Stacey Vanhoy in announcing and describing the foundation’s new funding model.  

The guests included Colorado Supreme Court Justice Susan Blanco; state Attorney General Phil Weiser; Joe Jefferson, presiding judge of the Englewood Municipal Court; Colorado District Court Judge Jon Olafson; Anne Marie Brown, managing director of Colorado Ohana Ventures; Bruce and Lisa McDonald, who had chaired the gala in 2025; Susan Kiely, whose late husband, Leo, had been president and chief executive officer of Molson Coors Brewing Co.; Janet Kritzer, a real estate agent with LIV Sotheby’s International; and such foundation board members as vice president Raj Babu, Dr. Michael Schaffer, Doris Burd, Jake Kubie, Jane Netzorg; former executive director Jill Henwood, whose husband, Kirk, is superintendent of the South Routt School District RE-3; and Linda and Jimmy Yip, who established the foundation as a living memorial to their late son, Nathan. 

The fundraiser – whose proceeds are still being tallied – ended with DJ dancing and a night market where guests could purchase apparel and accessories with an Asian flair.  

About the organization: The Nathan Yip Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for students in rural areas of Colorado by funding innovative, locally driven education initiatives that help every child learn, grow and thrive. 

Website: nathanyipfoundation.org 

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