Penny Parker, Mile High Life
Talk a little NBA b-ball while sidling up to Denver Nuggets Head Coach George Karl during a charity breakfast from 7-8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at Coohills, 1400 Wewatta St.
Space is limited, so RSVPs are requested by Nov. 30 to dbravo@progressivehealthcenter.org or by calling 303-788-9399. Cost is $28 per person.
The event is part of Colorado Gives Day 2012, where residents have 24 hours to give where they live.
The Coach Karl breakfast proceeds will support the Progressive Health Center and Cancer Care Initiative on Colorado Gives Day. Coloradans will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits throughout the state.
Last year, $12.8 million was distributed to Colorado nonprofits. Progressive Health Center and Cancer Care Initiative raised $36,000 and won an award for The Largest Percentage Increase In Dollars raised. The organization’s goal for 2012 is to increase that amount by 10 percent.
Progressive Health Center uses donations to help uninsured/underserved patients; for education programs and for general operating funds.
The Cancer Care Initiative helps with patient navigation, pain management, survivorship and integrative medicine.
Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day asks you to give to your favorite charities through the website www.GivingFirst.org, an online giving resource featuring every nonprofit participating in Colorado Gives Day.
One hundred percent of your donation will come to the charity you choose. When you give online anytime on Dec. 4, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund.
Donate online at www.givingfirst.org/progressivehealthcenter anytime during the 24-hour period of Dec. 4 to “Give Where You Live.”
Taxi turkeys
For the 20th year in a row, Metro Taxi drivers volunteered to bring meals to residents in need by delivering food from the legendary Daddy Bruce Randolph Thanksgiving program.
Metro Taxi Denver drivers assisted the Epworth Foundation’s annual Denver Feed a Family Thanksgiving program by delivering more than 1,800 food baskets to Denver residents unable to leave their homes.
At midnight prior to our traditional turkey day, three city blocks surrounding Epworth United Methodist Church, 3401 High St., closed to set up a giant assembly line for Thanksgiving food baskets.
After hundreds of volunteers sorted and packed the food that Walmart had donated and hauled in, volunteer drivers from Metro Taxi began delivering food baskets to the elderly and shut-ins.
The drivers navigated more than 120 routes and made more than 1,800 deliveries to needy residents in northeast Denver who would otherwise not have had access to the donations.
“This is not a business decision for us, this is simply the right thing for us to do and we are so proud of our drivers who step up to help their neighbors,” Metro Taxi Denver Operations Manager Bobby McBride said. “We have people on staff here who have been helping feed families through the Daddy Bruce Thanksgiving program for 20 years. The giving spirit of Daddy Bruce Randolph that the Epworth Foundation carries on is an important tradition to the community and to our company.”
For more information on Metro Taxi, visit www.metrotaxidenver.com. To learn more about the Epworth Foundation, the history of the Daddy Bruce Randolph Thanksgiving tradition, and to donate to the cause next year, visit www.epworthfoundation.org.
Bowled over
After hurdling numerous stumbling blocks, Punch Bowl Social, the much-anticipated diner and bowling alley from Denver restaurateur Robert Thompson, has finally opened at First Avenue and Broadway in the former Big Lots building.
The opening night event included live music by The Epilogues, with the ticket take going to Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Colorado. Tickets were purchased at www.punchbowlsocial.com for $15 to cover the charity donation and entertainment.
“We are proud to bring PBS to the Baker District and launch it in conjunction with such a worthy charity as Big Brothers and Big Sisters,” Thompson said.
The 24,000-square-foot bar, diner, bowling alley and coffeehouse also includes pingpong, marbles, deck-shuffle, shuffleboard, darts, pinball, foosball, pool tables, board games and a wall of throwback video games.
Punch Bowl is open daily starting at 6 a.m. for the coffee shop, breakfast served from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to midnight, happy hour 2-6 p.m. and a late-night menu till 2 a.m.
More information at www.punchbowlsocial.com.
Beggin’ for bacon
Denver’s first Bacon and Beer Festival takes place from 2:30-5 p.m. Dec. 9 at Mile High Station.
Denver-area restaurants will off fabulous bacon-based dishes for attendees to sample along with beers from amazing breweries.
Proceeds will benefit Metro CareRing and Project Angel Heart. The event is supported by Whole Foods Market and American Homestead Bacon.
For more information on all participating restaurants and breweries, and tickets, go to http://www.wheretoeat.in/calendar/63/29-2012-Denver-Bacon-and-Beer-Festival.
The event is brought to you by @eatboston, Forkly and Denver Off the Wagon.
Did you know?
After a warm weather delay, which produced unfavorable ice conditions, Lakewood’s Belmar has opened The Rink at Belmar. Updated rink schedule and hours are available at www.belmarcolorado.com.
Penny Parker’s “Mile High Life” column gives insights into the best events, restaurants, businesses, parties and people throughout the metro area. Parker also writes for Blacktie-Colorado.com. She can be reached at penny@blacktie-llc.com or at 303-619-5209.
