Debutante Ball participants revealed

Twenty-seven young ladies — including Katherine Burney, Sophia Crawford and Caroline Padgett, the granddaughters of University of Colorado president Bruce Benson, preservationist Dana Crawford and 2006 Citizen of the West Sue Anschutz-Rodgers, respectively — are to be presented at the 62nd Denver Debutante Ball.

The ball, a benefit for Denver Botanic Gardens, will be held Dec. 22 at the Brown Palace Hotel. Missy Eliot is the chairwoman; Julie Wham is the co-chair and Sharon Martin is the honorary chair.

The money raised, Eliot notes, is used to further the gardens’ efforts to “connect people with plants, using its core values of transformation, relevance, diversity and sustainability.”

Each debutante is encouraged to assume community leadership roles, either through a career or volunteer work. To help prepare them, the ball’s year-long Mentor Program matches each girl with a past deb who has attended the same college or university and shares an interest in the same profession.

The 2017 debutantes had their first group meeting on Feb. 16 when 1983 deb Julie Egan opened her Cherry Hills Village home for the traditional Announcement Tea. Betty Lynn Jackson, who had chaired the ball in 1998 and 1999, coordinated the late afternoon event.

In addition to Burney, Crawford and Padgett, the 2017 debutantes are:

Olivia Brooks Allen; Riley Louise Bechter; Lyndsey Frances Benes; Hope Anderson Cherubini; Caroline Frances Danos; Sarah Rebecca DeLine; Laura Tate Fox; Caroline Elizabeth Gardiner; Riley Kathryn Gibson; Gretchen Yvonne Grewe; Taylor Suzanne Hantman; Grace Elizabeth Hawkey; and Hannah Elizabeth Hess.

Also, Audrey McGowan Hummel; Gabrielle Jessie Kinney; Katherine Rose Kovarik; Bridget Lee McCann; Kathlyn Maeve Moran; Nicole Diane Seavall; Mallory Baird Smith; Marissa Belle Smith; Caitlin Marie Vickers; Tantum Lorene Woolley and Kylie Seta Writer.

Debutantes, from left: Gretchen Grewe, Tantum “Tate” Woolley, Caitlin Vickers, Gabrielle Kinney, Grace Hawkey, Taylor Hantman, Kylie Writer and Caroline Gardner. Photos by Nicole Evans, Special to The Denver Post

From left: Sarah DeLine, Lyndsey Benes, Hope Cherubini, Riley Gibson, Olivia Allen and Hannah Hess.

From left: Nicole Seavall, Laura Fox, Mallory Smith, Caroline Danos, Kathlyn Moran, Riley Bechter, Taylor Hantman and Audrey Hummel.

From left: hostess Julie Egan; Julie Wham, who will chair the ball in 2018; 2017 ball chair Missy Eliot; Announcement Tea chair Betty Lynn Jackson; and honorary chair Sharon Martin.

Katherine Burney and her mom, Ann Benson Reidy.