Step out in Style Be Beautiful Be Yourself! – Jet Set Fashion Show

_______________________________________________________________________

Denver, CO —  Colorado’s jet set are stepping out in style and supporting people in Colorado with developmental disabilities at the first Be Beautiful Be Yourself! – Jet Set Fashion Show.  The fund raiser will benefit The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund and ARC Thrift of Colorado and is scheduled for take off at Rotors of the Rockies air hangar on Saturday, September 27, 2008.

The Be Beautiful Be Yourself! – Jet Set Fashion Show will celebrate our community and neighbors with developmental disabilities with a high-end fashion show showcasing Saks Fifth Avenue top models, Colorado Crush football players and cheerleaders, and beautiful models who happen to have developmental disabilities.

The Best of SAKS fashion will include Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Escada, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Valentino Roma, and Elie Tahari.  VIP Helicopter rides over Denver, music and dancing with Hazel Miller and Sheryl Renee and fabulous auction items from exotic destination vacations to a NY fashion week holiday are all featured at this must attend event.

“This fundraiser is about how brilliant and beautiful our kids are if given a chance.  Embarrassingly Colorado is 49 out of 50 states in terms of services for people with developmental disabilities and this fashion show is the first step towards putting that statistic on its head,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of Anna and John J. Sie Foundation and Advisory Chair of The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund.

“The proceeds from the Be Beautiful Be Yourself! – Jet Set Fashion Show will go to underwrite essential programs through ARC of Colorado servicing over 50,000 individuals with developmental disabilities, and to fund much needed medical outreach support and education for children with Down syndrome” Lloyd Lewis, President and CEO of ARC Thrift added.

Save the date of Saturday, September 27, 2008, for this one of a kind event which will include a VIP reception and helicopter rides, dinner and fashion show and live entertainment. Gala chairs Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation and Lloyd Lewis, President and CEO of ARC Thrift of Colorado named the following notable Denverites as

Honorary Chairs Governor Bill Ritter Jr. and First Lady Jeannie Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Mayor of Broomfield City & County Patrick Quinn, and Senator Ken and Hope Salazar. 

The Honorary Committee includes John Elway, Sharon Magness Blake and Ernie Blake, Anna Sie, Ricki and Dave Rest, Jack and Pat McDonnell, Kay Cline, Peter and Philae Dominick, John and Linda Lynch, Chris Meza, Ron & Naomi Montoya, Frederico and Cindy Peña, Dr. Dean Prina and Michael Young.

Presenting Sponsors are Colorado Crush, Rotors of the Rockies, and Saks Fifth Avenue.  The television sponsor is KUSA-TV, 9NEWS.

Confirmed corporate sponsors include Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Liberty Global, Inc, Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Wells Fargo, Starz Entertainment, The Gold Michelson, Perry-Rest Alpert Family, Mark & Idi Jackson, McDonnell Family Foundation, The Barton Family Foundation, Colorado State Bank and Trust, Charles & Diane Gallagher and Family, Law Brothers Company, First Western Trust Bank, Metropolitan Homes, and Daniel Ritchie.

Seating is limited.  Limited corporate sponsorships are still available and include the Gulf Stream $15,000 level with a premier table for 8 guests, a VIP Reception with the Crush football players and Crush cheerleaders, up to eight 10-minute helicopter rides for table guests along with access to up to eight seats to the event from Centennial Airport to Rotors of the Rockies and back via a Rotors Cessna plane. Other levels include a Lear Jet – $10,000 level, the King Air – $5,000 level and the Mustang – $3,500 level.

The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund (RMDSEF) is a Donor Advised Fund at The Denver Foundation.   RMDSEF was established with a $500,000 challenge grant from the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation in March of 2006.  The Anna and John J. Sie Foundation is committed to enhancing the lives of people with Down syndrome through funding and galvanizing scientific and clinical research. The Foundation’s goal is to make Colorado the best place for people with Down syndrome to live through the formation of innovative and effective private-public-government collaboration.

ARC Thrift Stores are a Colorado non profit organization established in 1963 to provide fiduciary distributions to Colorado Based ARC and ACL units through ARC Thrift Stores and other fund raising efforts. Funds raised support education, training, and advocacy of individuals with developmental disabilities, and provide community public awareness and legislative support.

For more information and to register, call Anca Call at the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation at 303-468-6664 or visit http://www.coloradojetset.org/

###

Be Beautiful Be Yourself! – Jet Set Fashion Show, 

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Rotors of the Rockies

Fundraiser for The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund and ARC Thrift of Colorado

Did you know…

  • There is a wait list in Colorado for over 12,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities for services ranging from access to medical services to job coaching?
  • Despite 1 in 733 lives births, Down syndrome is the least funded of 93 conditions covered by the National Institute of Health?
  • Colorado now ranks 49 out of 50 states in terms of services to people with developmental disabilities?
  • Colorado is one of the few states that does not have a pediatric Down syndrome clinic despite the large numbers of children with Down syndrome?
  • Many organizations still grossly discriminate against people with any kind of developmental disability including refusal of medical services?

Many people with developmental disabilities can lead productive, happy lives and contribute to the quality of lives of those around them?