2014 Spring Newsletter - Denver Area Panhellenic

Denver Area Panhellenic 2014 Spring Newsletter President’s Message By Lea Ann Reitzig Welcome to the 2014 Awards Luncheon where we celebrate 106 years of sisterhood in Denver Area Panhellenic. Sorority women gather at this annual event to recognize outstanding alumnae and to honor exceptional students with our scholarship awards. There are currently 24 National Panhellenic Conference member groups represented on the DAP council. While each of our member groups may have its own symbols, motto, flower, philanthropy and colors, a Panhellenic organization centers on the shared goals and similarities of its members and their missions. Spring is a time for reflection and renewal; so take some time to consider what your group motto means to you and how you continue to grow through the experiences and friendships of your sorority and DAP. With your help, the women of Denver Area Panhellenic have accomplished a lot this year: • We held our annual Officers Roundtable in October and our Holiday Luncheon in December. • We have set aside time at council meetings for alumnae education where we learn about DAP, NPC and fraternity chapter history and news. We learned about dressing our best at our February event. • We have a full color professional newsletter thanks to our amazing editor. • The recruitment committee is hosting our first mother daughter tea in May for graduating high school seniors. • Our publicity committee continues to expand the role of social media and communications to promote DAP and its member groups; like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit www.denverareapanhellenic.org to see our cutting edge website. • We supported Denver Health Foundation's Newborns in Need program with philanthropic contributions. The philanthropy committee also held our annual school supply drive and delivered our collection to the Bansbach Academy at the Denver Children's Home. • The awards luncheon committee has brought us together today to celebrate DAP. • We will award two $2500 scholarships at this awards luncheon thanks to the dedicated work of the scholarship fundraising and collegiate awards committees. While I cannot mention all committees in this article, I would like to recognize your delegates and the executive board for their dedication to the work of Denver Area Panhellenic. One of the best ways to grow is to surround yourself with exemplary women like those in our DAP community. DAP provides each of us with numerous opportunities to participate in philanthropy, social events, and sisterhood activities. Today’s luncheon shows us how alumnae groups create community leaders, inspire proud scholars, and build life-­‐long friendships. My term as President of Denver Area Panhellenic is coming to a close and Gina Moore will become President. The rewards of serving in this role are too numerous to mention. I have developed many new friendships and learned a great deal about each of our member groups. Thank you for your support of Denver Area Panhellenic! Spring Newsletter – April 2014 2 Women of the Year Nominees Darla Click Dakin, Gamma Phi Beta Darla graduated from Arizona State University and received a Master of Sciences in Nonprofit Management with graduate honors from Regis University. After leaving college she held offices in her local alumnae chapter and accepted regional and national leadership roles with Gamma Phi Beta. Darla worked as director of administration for the Gamma Phi Beta Foundation from 2000-­‐2007. She served as a delegate to the National Panhellenic Conference and still advises NPC in areas of release figure management regarding recruitment. As a cancer survivor, Darla is interested in health and wellness nonprofits. She is president of Meglio Consultative Solutions and serves as executive director of Wapiyapi, a Denver based nonprofit organization that offers hope and support to families with childhood cancer. She has served on various boards including Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance, Parent Information Network, Gifted and Talented Advisory Council with Cherry Creek Schools, Cottonwood Cooperative School and Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir. Darla attributes many of her accomplishments to the tenets of Greek life-­‐ service and friendship. She is a friend to all, reaching out to sisters of all ages and walks of life as a friend, colleague or mentor. Kristin Bremer Heath, Alpha Sigma Alpha Kristin received her Bachelor of Science with a major in sociology and criminology from Colorado State University-­‐Pueblo in 2002. She went on to earn her Master of Criminal Justice degree from University of Colorado-­‐Denver while she worked as a security specialist for Intervention Community Corrections Services in Lakewood. She has continued to show her skills and leadership in her chosen profession and currently serves as program director for Intervention Community Corrections, where she is responsible for the management of a 140-­‐bed female residential facility, its clients and its staff. She has served on state and county committees for evidence-­‐
Spring Newsletter – April 2014 based practices and was a presenter at the Conference for the Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery. In addition to her professional achievements, Kristin has been an outstanding contributor to Alpha Sigma Alpha serving at the local, province and national levels. She served six years as the local alumnae chapter's secretary and newsletter editor. Kristin was instrumental in moving her chapter into the world of technology, converting the newsletter, phone tree and meeting notifications to email distribution systems. She played an integral part in raising the Alpha Sigma Alpha Denver Alumnae Chapter to the highest level of recognition within the sorority, that of a Crown Chapter. Kristin has been a province committee member and chairman serving as a district day workshop facilitator, education team member and recruitment coaching team leader for district nine. She was a member of the national convention planning committee for the Albuquerque convention in 2008 and served as national convention committee chairwoman for the 2010 convention held in Indianapolis. She was recognized 3 for her contributions when she was awarded the Volunteer Superstar Award for region nine, the highest volunteer award for the region based on service to her sorority. Kristen consistently lives up to the tenets of Alpha Sigma Alpha to create “women of poise and purpose.” She sets an example and remains dedicated to her work with collegiate women, training the future leaders of her sorority. Jill Nickels LaCroix, Sigma Sigma Sigma Jill LaCroix graduated from Johnson & Wales University-­‐ Providence, Rhode Island. She has had an outstanding career in tourism and management working with high profile companies, excelling as a district sales manager and starting her own marketing business. She is currently the sales manager of Colorado’s famous and historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Her sisters nominated Jill for DAP Woman of the Year because of her volunteerism, community service and strong career path. Jill has been active with the Sigma Sigma Sigma Denver Area Alumnae Chapter where she served as president, vice president, chair of the young alumnae special interest group and assisted with membership retention. She represented her chapter as a delegate to Denver Area Panhellenic. Working with collegians is Jill’s specialty as she serves as advisor to the Eta Pi chapter and on the collegiate advisory board. She also worked with the Tri Sigma expansion team considering colonization at Johnson & Wales in Denver. Jill serves her church as an elder, youth advisor, volunteer for the Taste of God’s Love Feeding and was a member of the pastoral nominating committee. Sigma Sigma Sigma honors Jill Nickels LaCroix for her compassion and service to her community. Spring Newsletter – April 2014 4 Women of the Year Nominees Elizabeth Sager Metz, Kappa Alpha Theta Elizabeth pledged Kappa Alpha Theta at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she earned a BS in Consumer Economics. She then earned an MBA at Virginia Tech, where she also served as consultant and resident counselor for a newly established Theta chapter. Wherever her career led Elizabeth found a place in the Theta community. She served as a Panhellenic delegate in the Washington (DC) area, advisory board chairman to the chapter at Washington & Jefferson College (in PA) during its first year in 1988 and joined the Kappa Alpha Theta Denver Alumnae Chapter in 1990. In Denver she became a delegate to DAP where she served as the committee chair for communications and as the editor of the newsletter. She has held various positions for her Theta alumnae chapter: treasurer, vice president of finance, vice president of fundraising, president-­‐elect, president, immediate past president and chairman of the bylaws committee. She is currently serving as archivist and is on the fraternity education committee. The Kappa Alpha Theta Denver Alumnae Chapter recently chose Elizabeth as its 2014 Woman of the Year in recognition for her service. This volunteerism extends to her community where she has given her time as a competitive soccer team manager, treasurer years with the US government, primarily in Human Resources, but including work as a tax examiner and Medicare policy analyst. In 1994 she received the US Department of Health and Human Services Administrative Employee of the Year Award for the Denver region, and in 1997 she received a group award for outstanding achievement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She currently works for the US Geological Survey in Lakewood. Throughout the years Elizabeth has shown dedication and loyalty to her sorority, community and career. She'll surely continue to do so for years to come. Sue Olander Pawlik, Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Chi Omega is a stronger sorority at the collegiate, alumnae and national levels due to the work of Sue Pawlik. She has served Alpha Chi Omega in many capacities since she joined at Purdue University. She remains active with the Denver Purdue Club as well. Sue was an active member of her Salt Lake City alumnae chapter and served as house corporation president at the University of Utah. After moving to Denver in 1981, she joined the Nu Nu Alumnae Chapter, where she became membership chair (multiple terms), chair of the downtown lunch bunch, president, golden member chair, and west section chair . Denver Area Panhellenic was pleased to have her serve as a delegate and also on the audit committee. Sue served Alpha Chi Omega as a convention delegate and currently serves on its Spring Newsletter – April 2014 5 Women of the Year Nominees national alumnae initiate panel. Sue spent her career with Mountain Bell, US West and Qwest, retiring in 2004. US West recognized her for outstanding contributions to the company. Throughout her career she served on numerous committees and task forces addressing federal regulatory issues. The larger metropolitan Denver community is richer for Sue’s energy and enthusiasm. She has been active at St. Thomas More and previously Light of the World parishes as a communion distributor, lector, tutor, teacher and volunteer organist. Other organizations that benefit from Sue’s participation include the Colorado Symphony Guild, the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. Alpha Chi Omega and Denver Area Panhellenic thank Sue for her many contributions. Cynthia Bates Petrarca, Delta Zeta After Delta Zeta re-­‐colonized at the University of Denver, Cynthia stepped in as the first president of the Rho chapter and continued her support as an alumna. She has served Delta Zeta as a collegiate chapter director, house corporation board member and rush assistance committee member. With her MBA and a background in finance, Cynthia has been a valuable resource for the Denver Delta Zeta Alumnae Chapter's finance committee. She has also been a delegate to her national convention. Cynthia is the vice president of Virtual Card Initiatives at the Bank of Montreal Financial Group. Previously she worked for the Rocky Mountain Business Travel Association and at Citigroup, where she received awards and recognition for her outstanding achievements. Cynthia’s focus on family and community cannot be overlooked. She took an active role in her children's activities from sports teams to prom committees. She served her church in women's ministries, as a marriage preparation leader and worked with the Our Lady of Loreto Life Closet. Cynthia served as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) for Arapahoe county and helped with Volunteers of America Share the Season. She currently volunteers for the Platelet Disorders Support Association. Cynthia has enthusiastically worked both in the spotlight and behind the scenes for her family, community and Delta Zeta. All are better for her efforts. Spring Newsletter – April 2014 Joan Cutler Rondinelli, Pi Beta Phi Joan started her college career at Mills College in Oakland, California but transferred to the University of Denver as a junior and that is where she pledged Colorado Beta chapter of Pi Beta Phi. Joan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. She had a very successful career working as an accountant and administrative assistant for several accounting firms. She raised four children and volunteered in a variety of organizations in which her children were involved. She was especially active as an assistant soccer coach, Camp Fire leader and Girl Scout leader. Retirement meant more time for volunteer work. Joan’s passion has been her volunteer work at East Elementary in the Littleton Public Schools. She has tutored and mentored students for 125-­‐150 hours per year for the last 10 years. In addition she assists the kindergarten teachers in any way she can. She has also volunteered on a regular basis at The Gathering Place, a women’s day shelter in Denver, serving meals and in their summer reading program. Joan’s commitment to her sorority has been long and considerable. She started shortly after graduation by serving on the house committee at the University of Denver. She served the Denver Area Alumnae Club as treasurer for five years, vice president for one and as the treasurer of the Denver Area Council of Pi Phi Chapters (the organization for all five of the Denver metropolitan area alumnae chapters) for five years. She served as a delegate to Denver Area Panhellenic for four years. As part of that commitment, she chaired the finance committee, the collegiate scholarship committee and served as a member of the philanthropy committee. Joan says her membership in Pi Beta Phi and her involvement in DAP has provided her a wonderful opportunity to volunteer and be of service to others. “I have met many wonderful women through these organizations and enjoyed their company and their commitment to our community.” Floy-­Louise Senior, Alpha Xi Delta Floy-­‐Louise Senior attended the University of Oregon where she joined the women of Alpha Xi Delta and 6 graduated with a degree in speech and drama. She later earned an MA in education guidance and counseling from the University of Colorado. Floy served the Littleton Public Schools for 19 years as the district counseling department chairman. Floy has been an active member of the Denver Alumnae Association of Alpha Xi Delta, where she served as historian, recording secretary and corresponding secretary. She then represented her chapter as a Panhellenic delegate and served as chair of the philanthropy committee, promoted NGA efforts and started the annual school supply drive for needy schools. Floy entered the DAP officer rotation and served as president of Denver Area Panhellenic in 2001-­‐2002. She lobbied to raise the college scholarship awards to $1000 each and, while serving as photographer and historian for DAP, wrote a history of the Denver chapter. She even won the Denver Area Panhellenic Spirit Award in 2003. While raising her four children, Floy assisted with various school activities, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. She taught Sunday school and directed the children's choir. She was a member of her church choir for over 30 years and served as president of the Evergreen Episcopal Church's lay religious order for nine years. She enjoyed directing and acting in community little theater productions. Floy is a longtime member of the Colorado Symphony Guild and volunteered on numerous planning committees and with school programs for the orchestra. Over the years she has volunteered for the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Visiting Nurses Association and Rocky Mountain PBS. Floy was the president of Arapahoe County Retired School Personnel and state membership chairman of the Colorado Retired School Employees. She now serves as president for the Metro Denver Mortar Board Alumnae Chapter. Floy's dedication to one organization, AARP, is especially impressive. She has spent years working on driver safety programs, as a tax counselor, workshop trainer, zone coordinator, instructor and on various other programs for AARP. Spring Newsletter – April 2014 7 Women of the Year Nominees From Floy's nomination letter, "The recognition she has received at every level is evidence of her commitment to others and the long list of her activities and achievements reflects her willingness to lead and to serve. Not only does she enthusiastically give of herself, her time and her talents, she does it with professionalism and competence. She treats everyone with kindness and respect. She is our valued friend and sister." Debbie Tam, Alpha Omicron Pi Debbie graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana with a BS from the Kelley School of Business. She has held many offices in the Alpha Omicron Pi Alumnae Chapter including secretary, newsletter editor, Founders Day chairman and philanthropy chairman. Currently Debbie is the network eight director. She manages 11 collegiate chapters and 33 alumnae chapters in the western United States and Canada. She was also responsible for recruitment and new member programs for five collegiate chapters, often traveling to those chapters to mentor the young women during recruitment. Debbie is considered an expert on recruitment and was asked to serve on two re-­‐
colonization teams (University of Washington and University of Oregon). She was honored by the fraternity at its international convention last summer with the Rose Award. This award recognizes alumnae who serve Alpha Omicron Pi solely because of their devotion to the fraternity. Debbie truly believes in the Panhellenic spirit. She has represented Alpha Omicron Pi at two NPC convention luncheons (Delta Gamma and Gamma Phi Beta). She was also on the consulting team for NPC’s Something of Value workshop at Eastern Washington University. Debbie is currently a delegate to Denver Area Panhellenic where she co-­‐chairs the collegiate awards committee. Debbie founded her own business in 1995, Tam Valuation Services, Inc. Her company reviews property tax valuations for commercial property owners. They review more than $400 million worth of property along the Front Range. When her children were younger, Debbie participated in various activities related to her two sons and their schools. She also volunteered for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Quoted from her nomination, "The best attribute about Debbie is that she leads by example; she offers encouragement, support, and humor while motivating others to do their best. She is a calming force during stressful times and a gentle leader." Spring Newsletter – April 2014 8 Alumnae Achievement Nominees Jean Haley Harper, Delta Zeta Jean Haley Harper graduated from the University of North Dakota with a BSBA in aviation administration and distinguished herself in her chosen career by being one of the first three female pilots hired by United Airlines. She flew Boeing 757’s and 767’s, safely delivering her passengers to their destinations for over 35 years. She is a charter member and past president of the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. She has been a classroom trainer for United and is the author of several articles for United Airlines Safetyliner magazine. She is also the published author of approximately 40 other articles that have appeared in such publications as McCall’s, Frontier Airlines in-­‐flight magazine, Air Line Pilot and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Jean has shared her career experiences at school career days and with professional and women’s groups. She was awarded the Girl Scouts Mile High Council Woman of Distinction Award in 1999 for her presentations as part of their Camp CEO program. She was also the recipient of the Delta Zeta Woman of the Year Award in 1998. This award is presented by DZ’s national council annually on Founders Day to an alumna who has achieved national recognition in her chosen career. In 2003 Jean was recognized by her alma mater with the University of North Dakota Sioux Award for outstanding alumnus. Congratulations, Jean, on your outstanding achievements in the field of aviation. Dr. Fernie Baca Hayes, Alpha Sigma Alpha Fernie Baca Hayes received her BA in secondary education from the University of Northern Colorado. She has many fond memories of her college days as an Alpha Sigma Alpha sister. After graduation Fernie taught in the Denver Public Schools, where she was instrumental in developing and initiating many educational programs specific to Latino students. She led a project to motivate Latino youth to finish high school and attend college. Fernie's passion for excellence in bilingual education for the Latino community would become her life's work. She received her MA and later her PhD in guidance and counseling from University of Colorado-­‐ Boulder. Fernie was elected to the Denver Public Schools Board of Education in 1979. Her impressive career of 40 years included a tenured professorship in the school of education at the University of Colorado-­‐ Denver, where she served as the dean of the graduate school and associate vice Spring Newsletter – April 2014 9 Alumnae Achievement Nominees chancellor for research/creative activities. Accomplishments include an appointment to the Colorado Committee for the 1970 White House Conference on Children and Youth; chair of region VII of the National Council of University Research Administrators; executive board of Colorado Women in Higher Education; chair of Women's Forum of Colorado Foundation; work with LARASA (Latin American Research and Service Agency) and Latin American Education Foundation (LAEF); board of Denver Health and Hospitals; Colorado Commission on Children and their Families; bilingual advisory board for the Children's Television Workshop; Denver Foundation civic and education advisory committee; committee for Colorado Awards: Education and Civic Achievement; planning committee for the 11th Annual Regional Conference on Bilingual/Bicultural Education; board of directors, Latino Institute of Education. Fernie has received countless accolades, honors and awards. Highlights include the 2013 Latinas First Foundation Trailblazer Award; University of Northern Colorado: 2012 Distinguished Alumna Award; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Award, Honoring Hispanics of Courage, Commitment and Accomplishment; 1999 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award; Women's Bank Award for outstanding contribution to education & preservation of Hispanic culture; Congress of Hispanic Educators Leadership Award; Denver Public School Service Award; Kellogg Educational Policy Fellowship; Mountain Bell Board of Advisors Service Recognition Award; NIE Post Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard University; EDPA Graduate Fellowship, University of Colorado; community service award, Mile High United Way; Bernie Valdez Award for Excellence in Education from LARASA; Phi Delta Kappa (a professional organization for educators)membership. Even with such accomplishments, her friends describe Fernie as a kind and humble woman of poise and purpose-­‐ a lifelong sister and dear friend. Sarah Benbrook Hittner, Kappa Alpha Theta Sarah Hittner pledged Kappa Alpha Theta at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned a BS degree in mathematics and a BS degree in economics. Sarah worked for the alumni and parents admission program for Washington University interviewing prospective students. Since the beginning Sarah has shown her commitment to her sorority. As a collegian she received a national award for outstanding vice president of finance for a chapter without a house. Her commitment continued as an alumna with the Kappa Alpha Theta Denver Alumnae Chapter, where she has been the vice president of finance since 2011. Her dedication and legacy have come to light as she was chosen the 2014 Inspirational Theta Spring Newsletter – April 2014 10 Alumnae Achievement Nominees by the Denver alumnae chapter. Sarah is a valuable asset to her church and community as well. She served on the PTO board of Cottonwood Elementary School as treasurer and is currently the president of the PTO at Campus Middle School. She also served as a room parent, library volunteer, Caldecott reading program coordinator and representative for the Cherry Creek School District Parents Council. Other volunteer efforts include Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout cookie mom and treasurer of the Cherry Creek Vista Vikings swim team. Professionally Sarah worked as an actuarial consultant for both Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, IL and for William M. Mercer here in Denver. Sarah Hittner's loyalty and dedication to her family, fraternity and community are indeed an inspiration to others. Sara Oliver Mark, Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Delta Pi Denver Alumnae Association’s current president, Dr. Sara Mark, earned her BS at Kansas State University and her DVM from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Since then leadership, humanity and volunteerism have been hallmarks of Sara’s impact. As a veterinarian with a busy practice, her passion for animals is demonstrated daily at local and national levels. Sara was selected as the 2012 Alumni Fellow for the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has worked for a national veterinary charity, focused on health problems caused by the lack of preventative care and challenged the huge welfare issues caused by animal overpopulation. “Dr. Mark has set an extraordinary example for future and current veterinarians, “ said Kansas State Dean Ralph Richardson. “She has gone beyond and above the call of the duty, especially in reaching out as a volunteer who makes a big difference in her community. “ Sara developed the protocol at The Children’s Hospital for the internationally renowned Prescription Pet Program and consults across the country on pet therapy programs. This extensive work has led to numerous honors over the years such as the Volunteer of the Year for The Children’s Hospital and The American Hospital Association’s Award for Volunteer Excellence on behalf of The Children’s Hospital, a rare occurrence for human hospitalists to recognize an animal practitioner. Sara most recently received the Chair's Award from Children’s Hospital Colorado Association of Volunteers and was honored as a Channel 7 Everyday Hero. By focusing on health problems caused by the lack of preventative care, challenging the huge welfare issues caused by animal overpopulation, and by engaging autistic children Dr. Sara Mark has left her “mark” on her community. Her gifts of Spring Newsletter – April 2014 11 Alumnae Achievement Nominees sensibility, compassion and generosity are also shared with her sisters in Alpha Delta Pi. Sharon Smith Martin, Kappa Kappa Gamma Sharon Martin exemplifies civic leadership at its best. Sharon served Kappa Kappa Gamma as president of her collegiate chapter at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. As an active member of the Denver Alumnae Association of Kappa Kappa Gamma, she has chaired the Kappa Book and Author Dinner and has served various committees for many years. Sharon’s leadership is local, regional and national in scope. She has served Denison University as a member of the board of trustees and on other development and enrollment committees. Sharon has held leadership positions for the Central City Opera House Guild, Habitat for Humanity and Drug Free America (The Colorado Meth Project). She instituted the International Botanic Gardens Awards Program for the Denver Botanic Gardens and has chaired their largest fundraisers. She served on the committee to promote first passage of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, which still exists today. It funds over 250 scientific and cultural organizations in the Denver region. Denver area arts, education, health, housing and women’s issues have been areas of volunteerism for Sharon. Sharon's forward-­‐
thinking approach has benefited the following organizations and causes: Central City Opera House Association, The Denver Debutante Ball, the Colorado Symphony, Junior League of Denver, Children's Hospital, Women's Health Research Center, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Graland Country Day School, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal School and more. Each has been enriched by her volunteerism and her guidance. Sharon and her husband have supported dozens of philanthropic organizations and have hosted countless events in their home. Sharon's leadership abilities and wide ranging interests are models for community activism at its best. Patricia Russo Schassburger, Alpha Xi Delta Pat graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration. She also received a Certificate of Public Relations. Pat has worked tirelessly for many organizations. She served on several committees and as secretary for the National Association of Government Communicators. She served on and chaired committees for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). She also took the initiative to start an employee newsletter while working for the US Department of Energy and was its editor for over five years. Pat has been a member of the Society of Logistic Engineers, National Contract Managers Association and National Association of Government Denver Alumnae Chapter of
Gamma Phi Beta
Congratulates
Darla Dakin
On her nomination for
DAP Woman of the Year 2014
Spring Newsletter – April 2014 12 Alumnae Achievement Nominees Communicators. She was also a member of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce, serving as ambassador for five years. Pat served her community in many capacities as president of her homeowners association, PTA secretary and as a member of the ladies auxiliary at Spirit of Christ Church. She is a breast cancer survivor and a member of a survivor’s group called STARS-­‐ sharing, touching and reaching survivors. Last year she worked on the Pink Hat Tea committee, soliciting door prize donations for the tea. This year she will be a model for the Pink Hat Tea which is held at the Arvada Center. Pat is currently co-­‐vice president of programs for the Alpha Xi Delta Denver Alumnae Association. She has also served as chairman of ways and means, providing leadership to implement changes to the chapter's annual fundraising event. Jean Swanson Stuck, Sigma Sigma Sigma Jean Stuck’s Sigma Sigma Sigma sisters proudly nominated her for the Alumnae Achievement Award and said of Jean “If you need something done, ask a busy person.” In almost 60 years of membership Jean guided the alumnae chapter with her smile, quick wit and humor and has held all major leadership positions including president, vice president, treasurer, awards chairman, philanthropy, ways and means and the social lunch bunch. After graduating from Northwest Missouri State, Jean became an elementary school teacher in Arvada, followed by positions as an educational materials presenter, a part time receptionist and finally a bus and walking tour guide in Denver for 10 years. The PTA enjoyed Jean’s extraordinary energy while she was president and a committee member. Jean's volunteerism and love were further demonstrated as she became a part-­‐time caregiver to her sorority sister for nine years. Education and volunteerism have always been primary drivers for Jean. She was a senior living volunteer, held numerous leadership positions in her church and volunteered for 27 years with the Colorado Historical Society, serving on its volunteer board and working as part of its Tours and Treks Speakers Bureau. Jean received the Volunteer of the Year Award for her 20-­‐year association with the Spring Newsletter – April 2014 13 Alumnae Achievement Nominees Governor’s Mansion Docents. Denver Area Panhellenic also benefited from Jean’s leadership as a delegate and committee chair. Jean has been recognized by her Tri Sigma sisters, who call her their Golden Violet, for a lifetime of volunteerism and dedication positively impacting her sorority, church and community. Jenny Lincoln Young, Delta Delta Delta Jenny graduated from the University of Colorado with a BA in psychology. Since college she has been an active member of the Denver Tri Delta Alumnae Chapter serving in a number of vital roles. She has also excelled professionally, now sitting as the executive director for the local non-­‐profit, Angel Eyes, which provides free grief support services to anyone experiencing the sudden, unexpected loss of an infant or toddler. Since she started working with Angel Eyes in 2005, Jenny rebranded the organization and elevated them to a pillar of support in the community. Her skill for streamlining expenses and her talent for increasing fundraising revenue have helped this small non-­‐profit maximize its impact in the community. As a volunteer she used this expertise to assist with annual fundraising events for the National Stroke Association. Jenny has given endlessly to her Tri Delta local alumnae chapter by updating its database management and developing new communications strategies. Her role as database coordinator required an immense amount of organization and attention to detail as she tracked over 2,000 local alumnae. She served as newsletter editor and then moved on to vice president of communications, a position she still holds today. Currently Jenny oversees a committee of officers who manage online communication through email, Facebook and website. She and her team work to maintain connection with all members young and old by mail, telephone or digital means. In addition Jenny continues to monitor the quality of the chapter newsletter. The national executive office of Delta Delta Delta recognized their efforts at convention with an award commending them on alumnae engagement. We're sure that Jenny’s talents and commitments to her profession, sorority and community will continue to make an impact for years to come. Spring Newsletter – April 2014 14 DAP Scholarship Winners Caroline Stern, Gamma Phi Beta, University of Denver Caroline graduated Cum Laude in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Pre-­‐Dentistry from the University of Denver, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.76. This fall, Caroline will attend the University of Colorado’s School of Dental Medicine to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Initiated into Gamma Phi Beta in September of 2009, Caroline served as Education Vice President, Personal and Chapter Enrichment Chair, as well as Class Representative on the Standards, Nominating, and Membership Selection Committees. She was awarded Theta Chapter’s Louise Wyatt Scholarship as well as the Carnation Award which recognizes an outstanding senior representing the ideals and purposes of Gamma Phi Beta. Since she was 13 years old, Caroline has known that she wanted to be a dentist. She aspires to open her own practice, serving English and Spanish speaking patients, as well as devoting her time to medically underserved areas. Caroline will use her Denver Area Panhellenic Scholarship towards required materials for graduate school. Lea Ann Reitzig
Managing Director
lreitzig@openworldlearning.org
C e l l: 7 2 0 . 9 8 2 . 4 5 2 7
O f f i c e: 3 0 3 . 8 3 2 . 0 0 6 6
Fax: 303.832.8774
2543 California St.
Denver, CO 80205
Creating Possibilities through Technology
Taylor Sutcliffe, Gamma Phi Beta, University of Denver Taylor graduated in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from the University of Denver and a cumulative GPA of 3.96. As a junior, Taylor was elected to Phi Beta Kappa; as a senior she received a Pioneer Award. Accepted to three medical schools, Taylor plans to attend one of them this August. Taylor was initiated into Gamma Phi Beta in November of 2009. After initiation, she served as Safety and Wellness Chair, as Community Service Chair, as Recruitment Day Chair, and as a Rho Gamma during recruitment. Taylor’s monthly newsletter and programming as Safety and Wellness Chair led to the Theta Chapter’s honorable mention recognition at Gamma Phi Beta’s Biennial Convention in 2012. Most recently honored with the Barrett Distinguished Thesis Award, Taylor is devoted to impacting the lives of others on what she believes to be the most fundamental level -­‐ their physical health. Taylor believes the Denver Area Panhellenic Scholarship will help her build a strong foundation for an extensive and successful career in medicine. Spring Newsletter – April 2014 15 Spring Newsletter – April 2014 16 Alumnae News Pi Beta Phi (Highlands Ranch) By Marlyce Buch With three active alumnae clubs in the Denver metro area (Aurora, Denver, and Highlands Ranch), Pi Beta Phi alums of all generations have many opportunities to enjoy a myriad of social and philanthropic activities with their sorority sisters. This year was no exception. Popular events for the Denver Alumnae Club included a chili cook-­‐off, a Thanksgiving cooking demonstration, the annual angel exchange holiday party, the upcoming end-­‐of-­‐year Cookie Shine, and the monthly book club. The Denver Alumnae Club sponsored several meals and served afternoon snacks throughout the year for women and children at The Gathering Place, and also donated $25 gift cards at Christmas for the women to go holiday shopping for their families. Some favorite events of the Highlands Ranch Alumnae Club included a fall painting party, a holiday brunch and shopping in historic downtown Littleton, an evening at the Arts on Fire Studio, the annual Manicures, Pedicures, and Martinis get-­‐together at a local salon, and the upcoming end-­‐of-­‐year celebration at Fujiyama's. The Denver and Highlands Ranch Denver Alumnae Clubs teamed together to participate in a Fraternity Day of Service literacy event in coordination with Dr. Seuss Day at the J. Churchill Owen Boys and Girls Club of Denver. Alumnae from all three clubs look forward to gathering in late April for a joint Founders' Day brunch celebration at Maggiano's. School supplies for Denver Children's Home and books to be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Denver will be collected at the brunch. Delta Zeta By Katie Fredrick It has been a wonderful year for the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Delta Zeta. In February 2013, we elected new officers who were excited to leave their mark on Delta Zeta. Also, in February, we held our annual Build-­‐A–Bear Philanthropy event. One of Delta Zeta’s philanthropic partners is the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Delta Zetas from all over the country make bears with hearing aid attachments for the children at Starkey. When the children receive their hearing aids and cochlear implants, they also receive a bear with a hearing aid who is just like them. We were able to donate 19 bears and an additional 12 outfits for the naked bears at Starkey. On November 3, 2013, members of Delta Zeta teamed up with members of Zeta Tau Alpha for a Newborns in Need baby shower complete with a tour of the facilities at Denver Health. Members spent the afternoon putting together care packages. An area in which we excelled this year was our alumnae/collegian relations. For our Build-­‐A-­‐Bear event, collegians from our two Colorado collegiate chapters are invited to join, and many do. On April 20, 2013, a scrapbookin
g event was held at the DU chapter house. Each participant was asked to bring photos, sayings, and mementos, from their time as a member of Delta Zeta to make a scrapbook page. Afterward, Spring Newsletter – April 2014 17 Alumnae News the pages were compiled to create a joint scrapbook of Colorado Delta Zetas. Twenty collegians, fifteen alumnae, and one little DZ legacy were in attendance. A video was made to commemorate the event and can be found on the Denver Alumnae homepage at www.denverdeltazeta.org. In May, 2013, we held our annual spring brunch in which senior members from both Colorado collegiate chapters are invited to attend. We’ve found this brunch is a great way to introduce collegians to alumnae life so they can begin getting involved. In November, 2013, a cookie exchange was held at the DU chapter house. All participants were asked to bake their favorite cookies, print off multiple copies of the recipe, and then participants could walk around, taste each cookie, and take the recipe if they chose to do so. This was a great way for the alumnae to meet the new members, and vice versa. We also had a lot of fun with our many social events this year. In March, 2013, we got together at Canvas & Cocktails to showcase our “impressive” artistic abilities. In June, 2013, we had DZ’s Night at the Colorado Rockies game. This is always a fun event because it gives members the opportunity to bring along their families and friends. July, 2013, brought us happy hour at the View House in downtown Denver. It was a perfect evening for cocktails and appetizers outside. We had another happy hour in November in the Wash Park area. Happy hour events are always among our best attended events due to the come-­‐and-­‐go nature of the event. We’re looking forward to increasing our philanthropic and fundraising presence in 2014, contributing more to our collegiate scholarship fund, continuing to build our wonderful relations with our Colorado collegiate chapters, and, of course, having fun with each other as sisters in Delta Zeta. Alpha Phi By Andrea Dutton-­Frieson February is National Heart Month and Alpha Phi teams up with Heart Awareness. Our national philanthropy is heart health with awareness to women's heart disease, the number one killer of women! Our national organization, local alumnae chapters, and collegiate chapters have heart events in support of our philanthropy to raise awareness and funds. Events are held mostly in February, but take place throughout the year. Such events are our "Red Dress" events. We have a red dress lapel pin we wear in honor of our heart philanthropy, galas with entertainment-­‐dinner-­‐
auction, casino nights, 5k runs-­‐fun walks, on campus college heart fairs, classes on how to cook and eat heart healthy, and many other Spring Newsletter – April 2014 18 Alumnae News creative events that have evolved through the years to support the cause of heart awareness. Currently our national organization has teamed up with our collegiate chapters to train collegians on the use of the heart defibrillator, along with getting CPR trained and certified. Our national foundation even has a heart blog with amazing heart stories. Two of our local Denver alumnae recently had their blog posted. One of our members, Jo Dutton, went on to be nominated for the 1990 Colorado Heart Association Mother of the Year Award, and she won! To all of our Alpha Phi sisters and fellow DAP sorority sisters, we wish YOU ALL "Heart Healthy" Lives! Alpha Chi Omega By Ashley Smith The Nu Nu Sisters of Alpha Chi Omega have had an amazing year. We kicked things off in August with a BBQ and some fun in the sun. Between the bocce ball and the brisket, it was a great way to meet women new to the group and catch up with old friends. We also collected school supplies to donate to DAP. To celebrate our Founder’s Day in October, we invited the collegians from the Nu Chapter in Boulder to join us for a luncheon at Mt. Vernon Country Club. Alpha Chi Omega supports victims of domestic violence, and locally we work with SafeHouse Denver, an emergency shelter and counseling and advocacy center. An extremely brave woman named Carmen shared her heart wrenching story about the domestic violence she and her children experienced, and how SafeHouse Denver helped her to break free and get her life back. It was an extremely emotional yet inspirational story, and reinforced the importance of our philanthropic initiative. We began a new tradition for our holiday party in December when we attended a private class at The Seasoned Chef Cooking School and learned techniques to make and decorate holiday cookies like professional pastry chefs. It was a fun (and delicious!) event. To celebrate Hera Day, a national day of service for Alpha Chi’s, we held a baby shower event at Denver Health to support DAP’s philanthropic initiative, Newborns in Need. The event consisted of sharing the adorable donation items we brought, a tour of the delivery area, meeting a brand new baby, and assembling gift bags for new moms and helping mismatched socks find their (sole) mate. With spring just around the corner, we look forward to supporting our senior women graduating from the Nu Chapter in Boulder at their Hall of Commitment ceremony the end of April. We’ll round the year out with our Spring Luncheon in May to celebrate many incredible women in our chapter, including our new class of 50-­‐year members and our Carnation Girl, a woman who has gone above and beyond both within and outside of Nu Nu. Alpha Delta Pi By Beverly Hirsekorn Alpha Delta Pi used this year to revitalize and modernize our Denver Alumnae Chapter. Our leadership created a vision for the Association to be more interesting, more cohesive, more appealing to a wider range of members, and more profitable so that Spring Newsletter – April 2014 19 Alumnae News we can do more for our sisters, locally and globally. We surveyed our sisters to identify what influenced their desire to attend events, preferences on mode of contact and activity ideas. We are considering changing our dues structure to provide a more effective budget that will better support group priorities and philanthropies. We are reaching out in a more strategic way to sisters that may have never engaged, sisters that used to be engaged, and sisters that may need support in one way or another. We have restructured our Website with our sister Webmaster (who lives in Australia) and used social networks like Facebook to enhance communications and encourage broad-­‐based outreach. ADPi Denver Alumnae Chapter is committed to increasing its relevance and interest to sisters, no matter their stage of life. Delta Gamma By Megan Small This last year has been quite busy for the Denver alumnae group of Delta Gamma! This year started the two-­‐year term for our amazing new executive board, and with that we have had tons of new events and activities! Our philanthropy of Service for Sight plays a huge part in our chapter, as we are lucky enough to have The Anchor Center for Blind Children in our neighborhood. We have many new and old alumnae members who are trained to interact with the students at the school, do direct work for the center, and are there on a monthly basis to help. Our annual Holiday Brunch and Auction is also always held at The Anchor Center for Blind Children, and this year was a huge success as we were able to raise a significant amount of money for the school and its mission. This year was the first Founder’s Day at Pinehurst Country Club and it was AWESOME!! To see all the generations of DGs come together is very special. There were members celebrating their 50-­‐year membership, ladies who have recently joined our chapter, and women who have taken leadership roles in our sorority on the national level. We also had a great showing by our collegiate ladies at the Beta Chi chapter at the University of Denver and are very excited to have their dedicated senior members make the move to our alumnae chapter. With summer quickly approaching and our programming coming to an end for the season, we are all very excited to see what the next year will bring! Spring Newsletter – April 2014 20 Alumnae News Gamma Phi Beta By Kristin Walker We are women Building Strong Girls! For many years the philanthropy focus for Gamma Phi Beta has been camping for young women. We know that for many girls going to camp is their first time away from their home community. At camp they learn new skills, are introduced to other young women from other environments and backgrounds, and grow from these experiences to be stronger young women. We are proud to support the Campfire Girls, Girl Guides of Canada, and the Gates Camp Colorado camping programs. Recently, Gamma Phi Sorority decided to broaden the focus of our philanthropy. In addition to camping, we have added the national Girls on the Run program. This unique program, which began in 1996, inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-­‐based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Girls in the 3rd through 8th grade in more than 200 cities across our country work with coaches to prepare for a 5K run. Life skills are taught through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. “The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.” (Girls on the Run website) The next Girls on the Run event in Denver is a 5K at City Park on May 10, and you’ll find many of the Gamma Phi collegians and alums there as volunteers and as runners. Gamma Phi’s are passionate about this new philanthropic focus, because we know today's girls face more challenges than ever, making the need for a safe place with supportive mentors even greater. Girls need women in their lives who can help them develop the skills to succeed in life. Our goal is to give girls the confidence to dream big. We want to inspire the female leaders of tomorrow. For nearly a century, Gamma Phi’s have committed to improving the lives of young girls by not only building stronger girls but stronger communities through these girls. Kappa Alpha Theta By Edie Bell and Leigh Plue The Denver Alumnae Chapter is committed to supporting our national philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA, recruits, trains and supports volunteer advocates who work with children who have been removed from the home due to abuse or neglect. CASA chapters in Colorado provide support to children in the foster care system, ensuring that they have personal assistance, care, and someone to talk to outside of their legal representatives. We work in conjunction with our local CASA programs throughout the year by making blankets, collecting school supplies and holiday toys, as well as raising awareness for our local CASA groups. For the fifth year, the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta will host their spring fundraising event, “Hearts & Heels” to help raise awareness, as well as funds, for CASA. “Hearts and Heels” will be held on April 17th from 5:30 to 7:30 at Glenmoor Country Club. This classy and affordable evening of wine and beer, delicious hors d'oeuvres, and good company will also highlight an array of 50 exciting Spring Newsletter – April 2014 21 Alumnae News silent auction items. The evening will feature friendship, well-­‐priced gift cards, services for her, him, kids, and pets, and the chance to learn about and assist CASA. Proceeds from the evening event will support local CASA programs and raise money for the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta’s philanthropy fund. If you are interested in attending, please do! Contact Theta’s Denver Area Panhellenic representatives, Leigh Plue or Edie Bell, for further information. Sigma Kappa By Laura ElHaje Sorority “go to” girls! Have you ever noticed that there are certain people you can count on for just about anything? In all areas of my life there are women that I consider my “go to” people, always ready to lend a hand with whatever project or philanthropic event where help is needed. It is no surprise that as I’ve gotten to know these ladies better; I have found out that 99% of them are sorority women. No wonder we enjoy the company of our alumnae and Panhellenic groups so much! I have always been impressed with my Sigma Kappa Alumnae sisters and all that they do, and recently I was privileged to see a large group of collegiate sisters with that same “no problem, can do” spirit. My daughter’s skating organization wanted to do a philanthropic event. One of the team members has juvenile diabetes, so the group decided to raise money for the National Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The teams held an exhibition, and the parents and coaches donated items for a silent auction. The parent coordinating (a Sigma Kappa alum) told me she wanted to reach out to one of our local collegiate chapters, but was concerned they would be unable to help since our national philanthropies have nothing to do with NJDRF. We also discussed how busy these young ladies are and didn’t know if they would even have time to help. Well, the ladies from Colorado School of Mines Sigma Kappa chapter certainly showed us what collegiate “can do” looks like! The chapter members brought an incredible selection of delicious baked items to the event, and fifteen members came to sell the yummy treats and take charge of the silent auction – all this late on a Sunday evening in February! They didn’t care that it was not for our national philanthropy, Spring Newsletter – April 2014 22 Alumnae News that it was late on a Sunday, or that they had to drive from Golden to help us out. An alumnae sister asked for help and they said, “Sure, no problem, we’ll be there!” They helped us raise $3,700 for juvenile diabetes research. I am so proud to call them sisters, and I believe they will all remain the “go to” people we can count on. Sigma Sigma Sigma By Michelle Hektor The Sigma Sigma Sigma Child Activity Room has been built in the new Denver Children's Hospital, South Campus, in Highlands Ranch, CO, thanks to the fundraising efforts of Denver Alumnae Chapter, Eta Pi collegians, and the Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation. This no-­‐stick zone will provide child play therapy materials, games and videos for the 150,000 visits by children expected in 2014. Our Denver Area Alumnae Chapter spent a weekend together in Estes Park at the Stanley Hotel sharing laughs, ghost stories, and making blankets for children visiting the hospital. We are currently fundraising to support a new executive headquarters in Woodstock, Virginia which will be next to our heart home, the Mabel Lee Walton House. This new headquarters will have state of the art conferencing facilities and will be the new home to our Foundation. The Mabel Lee Walton House will hold our archives and remain a wonderful place for retreats. We are thrilled to welcome our National President Kaye Schendel and our Foundation Executive Director Nancy Craig to Denver for the 116th Anniversary Celebration of our Sorority and our Founders Day celebration. Congratulations to Jill LaCroix, our nominee for DAP Woman of the Year and Jean Stuck, the Alumnae Achievement Award nominee. We are proud of your contributions! Alpha Xi Delta By Dianne Ziegler The Denver Alumnae of Alpha Xi Delta continues to be very involved with our national philanthropy, Autism Speaks. This year at our January meeting, which is devoted to our philanthropy, we were delighted to have a teacher who works with autistic students at Otho E. Stuart Middle School as our guest speaker. "There are a lot of challenges working with autistic kids", said Logann Grasteit. In working with these students with significant behavior issues, she referred to a set of two easy to use booklets written by two professors at University of Northern Colorado that offer quick, handy, research-­‐backed strategies for those working with autistic students. Logann stated that one of her greatest challenges is getting parents to reinforce at home what she is trying to do in the classroom. She also said the strategies in the handbooks can help parents, too. This speaker was very helpful for our alumnae group in order to be more informed about our national philanthropy. We will celebrate our Founder's Day this year with our sisters in Colorado Springs. Our luncheon will be held on Saturday, April 19th at the Garden of the Gods Club in Colorado Springs. We have 17 women eligible for Order of the Rose, which is 50 years of service to our fraternity; 3 women eligible for the Order of the Pearl, which is 60 years of service to our Spring Newsletter – April 2014 23 Alumnae News fraternity and 5 women for the Order of the Diamond, which is 75 year of service! Kappa Kappa Gamma By Jane Wiltshire Kappa For a Lifetime is one of our sayings. You start as a collegiate member, but there is the opportunity to continue your involvement for as long as you like. The Denver Alumnae Association provides that opportunity for Kappas. We have four sub-­‐groups to the umbrella association, the Day Group, Night Owls, Kountry Kousins for our West suburban members, and Career Kappas for our members who find after work dinners the best time to meet. We have fun together with monthly meetings in many configurations, and all it takes is finding the best group for a member’s particular interest. Each Kappa group has meetings, usually with a program or social component. Interest groups get together for hiking, golf, and snowshoeing for outdoor fun. Others play bridge, knit or stitch with Kappa Stitchers, and join others for monthly birthday parties for fun inside. Three different book clubs meet each month – the original daytime book club, Sapphire Sleuths read mysteries and enjoy dinner together, and Kountry Kousins have their own book club. More than 30 Denver Association members assist our four area chapters as Advisers, House Board members, and during recruitment. Kappas work hard on campuses and for our favorite charities; Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and Craig Hospital. In November, we held our 24th Book and Author Dinner to support Craig Hospital Scholarships and Kappa Kappa Gamma Scholarships. All are welcome to join us this coming November. Nationally we support our educational and leadership outreach programs. GIRLS Academy (Girls Inspiring Respect Leadership and Service) provides leadership training and empowerment to middle school girls where they are mentored by collegiate members. Collegians and alumnae take part in Kappa’s annual Leadership Academy at a camp in Ohio where leadership principles are practiced, then brought home to our work with chapters, careers and communities. Several Denver area Kappas look forward to taking part in our 70th Biennial Convention this June in Houston. Kappa For a Lifetime. Spring Newsletter – April 2014 24 Alumnae News Zeta Tau Alpha By Kristina Zwettler The Rocky Mountain Zetas have had a busy year. There are always different activities, everything from the Murder Mystery party, to what we like to call "crafternoons" which were painting pottery and decorating wine bottles for the home, as well as game nights. This year we made our impact on the community by participating in Crucial Catch with Denver Broncos and passing out pink ribbons in honor of breast cancer month. We also volunteered in the survivor booth at the Susan G. Komen's Denver Race for the Cure. It is truly an honor to work alongside these women I get to call sisters, and to meet these wonderful women/survivors and to hear their stories. We had another successful year in growing Project Pink Gala our 2nd annual silent auction this year down at The Front Porch in downtown Denver. We look forward to our upcoming events of Cooking with Zetas and our own guest chef to teach us a few new things in the kitchen, a white elephant auction to raise proceeds for our Zeta Scholarship and finally our summer family BBQ. Chi Omega By Patricia Villegas Denver Alumnae Chapter of Chi Omega has had a fantastic year filled with friendship, fun and philanthropy. Our dynamic President, Kipper Kelly and board planned an amazing year. Fun included a Ghost tour of Denver Historical Mansions, Scrooge at the Garner Galleria Theater, Painting at Sipping ‘n Painting Hampden, High Tea at the Denver Tea Room, and the Celtic Dancers at Newman Theater. Friendship included a favorite foods potluck, picnic at Cheesman Park, a Meet & Greet to welcome new members and, of course, In Cahoots for our younger or young at heart members. Chi Omega alumnae also enjoy attending monthly Dinner & a Movie, Art Appreciation, and Sip More Wine Book Club. We celebrated the University of Denver’s new women’s fraternity, the Zeta Mu Chapter of Chi Omega. The initial installation was just under 100 young, amazing women. We hosted a meet & greet on campus and support our new chapter with treats for meetings. We’ve also been busy participating in events at the University of Colorado and Colorado State Spring Newsletter – April 2014 25 Alumnae News University chapters with recruitment and study support. Chi Omegas from Colorado and Wyoming gathered in Colorado Springs to celebrate our Annual Founder’s Day brunch, Eleusinian. The Laurie Leadership Foundation of Chi Omega hosted a Regional Session in Denver for all Chi Omegas to lead in our community. Philanthropy is our sweet fundraiser, Delicious Wishes, which benefits the Make-­‐a-­‐Wish Foundation. The year’s sweetest event will take place on June 20th at the Denver Downtown Aquarium, with sweets, sips, silent and live auctions. A wish will be granted through ticket sale proceeds, special drawing tickets and auction items. All Denver Area Panhellenic women are invited to join us for an evening of fun, friendship, and philanthropy. Alpha Sigma Tau By Jenn Marshall The Mile High Alumnae of Alpha Sigma Tau have had a busy year. We are focusing on hosting engaging and fun activities for our members. The events this year included, a trip to the Chatfield Botanic Gardens Corn Maze, sweet treats at the Hammond’s Candy Cane Festival, and a day at the Museum of Nature and Science followed by a late lunch at Crepes ‘n Crepes in Cherry Creek. We celebrated Founders Day with the Delta Psi Chapter with pizza, soda, sisterhood and Twister at the Event Center on the Johnson and Wales Denver Campus. In January the Alpha Sigma Tau’s of the Mile High City hosted our National Council for a quarterly meeting. We celebrated with the council and the collegians at a meet and greet cocktail party downtown. We are so thankful they were able to visit us! We celebrated several weddings and welcomed new babies this year. We look forward to the next few months and attending our National Convention in June! Tau love to our Panhellenic Sisters! Alpha Sigma Alpha By Barb Hofmockel It has been a busy year for the Alpha Sigma Alpha Denver Alumnae Chapter. We kicked off the year in August with our annual Reunion BBQ. It is wonderful seeing many of our members who can’t make it to other meetings, and it is fun to include spouses, kids and significant others in this fun afternoon of games and food. The fall continued with our first business meeting of the year in September, a Happy Hour and meeting at the Yard House at Colorado Mills. In October, members joined team “With A Little Help from My Friends” to do Race for the Cure and raise money for breast cancer research. November found us celebrating Founder’s Day at Trinity United Methodist Church with collegiate members from UNC and CSU-­‐Pueblo. Our winter events included December’s annual Holiday Party. Then, in January we held our largest business meeting of the year, and this year we included a night out with pizza at Beau Jo’s while concluding our business and plans for the rest of the year. In February members snowshoed at Romp to Spring Newsletter – April 2014 26 Alumnae News Stomp out Cancer in Frisco in support of Susan G Komen. Spring began with our biggest fundraiser, raising money for the S. June Smith Center for children with disabilities and our support of Special Olympics, at our annual Casino Night in March. Again we enjoyed including spouses and friends for an evening of prizes and fun for worthy causes. April will bring our annual Spring Soiree to initiate this year’s college graduates into alumnae status and a chance to supply treats for Special Olympics. Plans are also in the works for a baby shower for Newborns in Need. Sisters will attend the DAP Awards Banquet to honor our award nominees, Kristin Heath and Dr Fernie Baca Hayes, two very special sisters. Thank you to our donors, past and present, which allows our garden to flourish year after year! Delta Delta Delta Alpha Phi Alpha Xi Delta Kappa Kappa Gamma Delta Gamma Kappa Alpha Sigma Kappa Theta Delta Zeta Mrs. Elizabeth Fouts, Sigma Kappa Peggy Emmett, Alpha Epsilon Phi Kristin Walker, Gamma Phi Beta Anna Shannon, Delta Gamma Valerie P. Haines, Sigma Kappa Patricia Villegas, Chi Omega Joan Lee Howard, Sigma Kappa Deirdre Nalven, Alpha Phi Ellengail Beuthel, Sigma Kappa, in honor of Elinor Moerlin and Fran Anderson Gina Moore, Delta Delta Delta, in honor/memory of Annicken Kassel, Joan Beindorff, Deanna Lund, Susan Rohde, Andrea Cooper, Benie Sherman, Beda Collins, current delegates, past award winners and DAP presidents from Delta Delta Delta Mariann K. Lowrie, Delta Gamma, in honor of Ruth Carter Thomas and Dona Brown Kelley Dee Frazier, Alpha Xi Delta, in memory of Corwina Ferrell (Alpha Xi Delta) and Mary Lou Keating (Alpha Gamma Delta) Annicken Kassel, Delta Delta Delta, in honor of Andrea Cooper Suzanne Boos, Alpha Xi Delta, in honor of Linda W. Fligg, 50 years (Order of the Rose) Joan Cohen, Kappa Kappa Gamma, in honor of Phyllis Brinton Pryor, DAP’s First Woman of the Year recipient. Please support our scholarship fund by donating today or mailing a check payable to “Denver Area Panhellenic” to Emily Donahue, 290 Park Ave West #319, Denver CO 80205