Denver Public Schools Foundation’s Achieve Gala raises $1.3 million
There are a million ways that the Denver Public Schools Foundation could have marked the 16th year for its Achieve Gala, and the one they picked paid off in a big way.
Inspired by the foundation’s student-focused purpose, co-chairs Jennifer Evans, J.W. Postal, Aimee Kinning and Marcee Kinning made DPS students the stars of the show by enlisting them to serve as greeters, speakers, entertainers — even menu consultants.
The result was an event that raised $1.13 million and gave the 1,000 guests a better idea of what a good education means to the 92,000 youngsters enrolled in the city’s 200 public schools.
“We know that when our students thrive, our city thrives,” said Veronica Figoli, the foundation’s president and chief executive officer. “This event celebrates what’s possible when we stand tall in support of our students.”
Four junior culinary students from Vista Academy — Davont’e Anders, Oumar Keita, Brian Manriquez and Theresa Rocha — helped plan the dinner menu. Along with their teacher, chef Alexander Else, they also assisted the Hyatt Regency Convention Center kitchen staff in prepping the salad and dessert plates.
Dejaneri Maestas, Aaron Tran and Sebastian Vargas from CEC Early College interviewed and filmed students from several DPS schools for inclusion in a video shown at the gala. Singers and musicians from North High School, STRIVE Prep-excel and Hamilton Middle School performed, and Sequoiah Hippolyte from Denver School of the Arts teamed with Figoli to deliver a moving spoken-word presentation.
The keynote speaker, Danna Al-rashidi-schmiedel shared how she had been in the care of social services since she was 7, and found herself having to move from home to home. “I often felt like a fish out of water,” she said, adding that had it not been for a social worker who introduced her to PREP Academy her life might have taken a different direction.
PREP Academy, she said, “felt like home” as the teachers there gave her the emotional and educational support she needed to overcome issues that included depression and anxiety. She has earned a full-ride scholarship to Colorado State University, where she will pursue studies that will enable her to fulfill her dream of becoming a marine biologist.
The gala’s leadership team — Jennifer Evans, managing partner at the Denver office of Polsinetti and a member of the DPS Foundation board; Postal, the founder and CEO of Nikola Power, and the Kinning sisters-in-law, vice presidents of the RK Foundation — also invited Daniel Mccorquodale, a senior at Denver Center for International Studies, to serve as master of ceremonies.
The Western Union Foundation was the gala’s presenting sponsor, and the company’s chief compliance officer, Jacqueline Molnar, and foundation executive director Elizabeth Roscoe were among the guests.
Others taking part in the festivities were Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne; Susana Cordova, assistant superintendent of the Denver Public Schools; Leanna Clark, chair of the DPS Foundation board; chair-elect Priya Burkett; Mike Ferrufino, president/ceo of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver; Terrance Carroll, the DPS’ chief legal and external affairs officer; University of Colorado President Bruce Benson and his wife, Marcy; Stephanie and Adam Donner; Anne Bye Rowe, president of the DPS Board of Education; Anna Jo Haynes and her daughter, Happy, executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation; Christine Tatum and Dr. Chris Thurstone; Jon Hanover; Eric Sondermann; Tom Downey and Lori Fox; and social worker Kathy Jackson.