The Most Interesting Men in Denver
Inspired, perhaps, by the Dos Equis beer commercials featuring “the most interesting man in the world,” the Denver Health Foundation chose seven highprofile gents to preside over its annual Men’s Night Out.
For one night, Streeter Mcclure, J Madden, Mike Ferrufino, Josh Hanfling, Michael Pollak and Franklin Rios basked in the glory of being “The Most Interesting Men in Denver” as they mixed and mingled with a couple hundred friends who gathered at the Halcyon Hotel in Cherry Creek ready to learn more about preventable threats to men’s health and programs that address them.
Mcclure has been a bartender, ski instructor and U.S. Senate intern before founding Digitalsafe; he is also the author of “The Single Man’s Guide to Cooking with Beer.” Madden, the owner/managing partner of Pura Vida Fitness & Spa, shared the 2017 Citizen of the Arts award with his wife, Linda Poletti.
Ferrufino is the president/ceo of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Denver Health Foundation board. Hanfling chairs the foundation board and is the cofounder of Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs.
Pollak, the foundation’s immediate past chair, will be honored at Denver Health’s signature fundraiser, Nightshine. This black-tie gala will be May 12 at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center and features entertainment by Flo Rida. Rios, the global head/corporate development for Mediamath, and his wife, Jennifer, are among the co-chairs for Nightshine.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also was one of the Most Interesting, but was attending meetings in Washington, D.C., and was thus unable to take part in the cocktail hour gathering that included food, drink, cigars and a brief program emceed by sportscaster Les Shapiro.
There was no charge to attend, but guests were encouraged to donate $100 in exchange for a gift card of equal value to Hyde Park Jewelers. Proceeds from this effort would be put toward the continued operation of Denver Health’s community health centers.
Paula Herzmark, executive director of the Denver Health Foundation, said the purpose of Men’s Night Out is to “Keep men healthy. We want them to know more about diseases like diabetes, the importance of having a colonoscopy … things that are preventable, or can be successfully managed or cured by early detection.”
Herzmark and foundation chair Hanfling took the time to introduce hospital CEO Robin Wittenstein to as many members of the illustrious crowd as they could. Wittenstein will soon celebrate her first anniversary at Denver Health.
Those taking part in Men’s Night Out included state Treasurer Walker Stapleton; Drs. Fernando Kim and Larry Chan; jeweler John Atencio; Clarence Low, president/ceo of the Asian Chamber of Commerce; chef Troy Guard; bankers Norm Franke and Vince Abrue; Icon Suit owner Dmitry Metsaev, who had made the opening of the Cherry Creek branch a benefit for Denver Health; Esteban Romero, membership engagement officer for the Hispanic Chamber; David Charmatz, principal with Mediaxiom; attorneys Steve Demby and Adam Agron; gallery owner Aaron Lapedis; lobbyist Wes Friednash; Barry Hirschfeld; Alby Segall, president of the Emily Griffith Foundation; and Community College of Denver president Everette Freeman.