Denver Health Foundation’s 2022 NightShine Gala Raises $1.4 million for Denver Health’s Center for Equity, Diversity, and Opportunity
August 30, 2022
The preeminent black-tie gala, featuring a performance by Grammy award-winning artist Macklemore, returned after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic
1,300 people attended the 2022 Denver Health Foundation NightShine Gala on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. The event raised $1.4 million in proceeds, which will benefit Denver Health’s Center for Equity, Diversity, and Opportunity (CEDO).
CBS4 Evening Anchor Karen Leigh co-emceed the gala along with former Denver Broncos player-turned motivational speaker Reggie Rivers, who also served as the gala’s auctioneer.
The gala included remarks from Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Health CEO Robin Wittenstein, Ed.D., Denver Health Foundation Board Chair Josh Hanfling, and Denver Health and Hospital Authority Board Chair Pia Dean. Incoming Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne, DrPH, delivered remarks virtually.
During an awards presentation, Seattle-based Roots & Wings Foundation was recognized with the inaugural Heart of Denver Health Award for their generosity and vision. The nonprofit has pledged over $2 million to support Denver Health’s mission as a safety-net hospital and anchor institution, including $500,000 in new unrestricted funds announced at the gala.
Philanthropists Brooke and Tom Gordon were honored with the 2022 Wellington E. Webb Award for Excellence in Healthcare Philanthropy. The Gordon family donated $1 million to fund the Brooke Gordon Epilepsy Center at Denver Health.
To cap off the evening, NightShine Gala guests were treated to an electrifying hourlong concert by Grammy award-winning rapper and social justice activist Macklemore, whose new single “Maniac” was released just one week ago. Macklemore and his band performed popular hits “Thrift Shop,” “Glorious,” “One Love,” “Downtown,” and more.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, the entertainer visited Denver Health’s Outpatient Medical Center for a meet-and-greet with 23 patients, providers and leaders from Denver Health’s Center for Addiction Medicine—an important cause to the artist, whose struggles with substance use disorder are a prominent subject in his music.
“All the things that I have today that I value—that I put the most emphasis on as my successes—wouldn’t have been possible without going to treatment and having resources to learn that I have the disease of addiction,” he told the group. “I felt for the first time like I wasn’t alone—like I was a part of something bigger than myself and I had a community of people that had the same disease that I had. With us holding our secrets and not telling our truth because we don’t want to be perceived a certain way, the stigma still wins. I’m trying to tell the truth, shame the devil, and keep on pushing. That’s my mission.”
The 2022 NightShine Gala featured both silent and live auctions, with items ranging from a VIP NASA tour and an Omega timepiece donated by Hyde Park Jewelers to vacation packages donated by Inspirato, Sage Hospitality and Attimo Winery. A paddle raise, the most successful in the Gala’s history, followed the auction.
Wittenstein announced several recent gifts and grants to the Denver Health Foundation, including a multi-million-dollar planned gift and a $5 million grant—the largest individual and institutional gifts, respectively, in the Foundation’s history.
“On behalf of the Denver Health Foundation, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to all of our generous donors and supporters,” said Executive Director Crystal Potter Rivera. “The NightShine Gala is the largest annual fundraising event for Denver Health, and the community truly showed up in support of Denver’s health and well-being.”
The 2022 NightShine Gala co-chairs were Christie and Walter Isenberg and Susan and Lee McIntire. The honorary co-chairs were Rose Andom, James and Pamela Crowe, Steve and Faye Demby, and Dr. Nancy Gary.
The Gala Committee included Steve Clark, Haroun Cowans, Jackie Devine, Ted Hamstra, Josh Hanfling, Dr. Bruce Madison, David McReynolds, Andrei Parven, Susan Powers, Bill Saslow, Michael Saslow, Brittany Morris Saunders, Jon Schlegel, Jamie Van Leeuwen, Charlie Walling, the Hon. Elbra Wedgeworth, and Denver Health CEO Dr. Robin Wittenstein.
Platinum sponsors for the 2022 NightShine Gala were Amazon and the Anna & John J. Sie Foundation. Gold Sponsors were BMW of Denver Downtown, Dependable Cleaners, Michael & Iris Smith, Christie & Walter Isenberg/Sage Hospitality, Dr. Nancy Gary, Susan and Lee McIntire, Megastar Financial, and Blair and Kristin Richardson/Henry and Lorie Gordon.
CBS4 was the 2022 NightShine Gala media sponsor. The event’s many silver and bronze sponsors can be found on the event website at DHFNightShine.givesmart.com. The NightShine Gala—one of the premier events of the Denver social calendar—has been held annually since 2000, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an Anchor Institution, Denver Health has launched the Center for Equity, Diversity, and Opportunity, uniting its health care mission with its economic power to address social and economic barriers to health for the individuals and communities it serves. Through CEDO, Denver Health addresses challenges that stretch far beyond hospital walls, deep into every community, and meaningfully into diverse partnerships for social innovation, helping to improve the lives of all in Denver. CEDO contains three programs: The Workforce Development Center; the Office of Health Equity; and the Equitable Procurement Initiative. This video shown at the event explains the impact of the Workforce Development Center—the beneficiary of this year’s gala proceeds.