Records shattered this past October 8, 2005, at the Wildlife Experience, as the Ninth Annual Red Wagon Ball welcomed over 450 guests and raised over $200,000 to help abused and neglected children in the 18th Judicial District. An event hosted by Advocates for Children and the Colorado Avalanche Community Fund, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, this year’s Red Wagon Ball also celebrated Advocates’ 20 years of providing CASA – court appointed special advocate – volunteers to abused and neglected children in Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. The evening’s guest of honor was Theresa Spahn, J.D., Executive Director of the Office of Child’s Representative, who received Advocates’ 2005 Friend of Children Award.

Fox 31 News Anchors Libby Weaver and Ron Zappolo served as emcees. Among the 450 guests, the event attracted such prominent civic, philanthropic, business and judicial leaders as: Hal and Connie Roth, Shellie and Simon Moore, Todd and Shannon Gervasini, Drs. Marshall and Joyce Gottesfeld, Dr. Michael and Lyn Schaffer, Kevin and Marcie Taylor, State Representative Ann McGihon, State Representative Nancy Todd, Gayle Walker, Nathan and Carol Chambers, Judge Juanita Rice, Lt. Lori Moriarty, and Judge Christine Chauche.

Major sponsors were: Town and Country Foods, Newmont Mining, John Elway Toyota, Fox 31 News, Employees Fund of the Boeing Company, Cydney and Tom Marsico Family Foundation, ViaWest, Retired Magistrate Virginia and Robert Ware, Land Rover Denver East, Faegre and Benson. For the fifth year in a row, Amy Leonard chaired the event. She and her husband, Jim Leonard, a partner with Faegre and Benson, were taken by surprise when they were honored for their commitment to kids by being awarded Advocates’ 2005 “Speaking Up” Award during the program.

Gary Corbett conducted the live auction, which featured: a signed John Elway football sold to Simon and Shellie Moore for $2,000, who also bought a beautiful hand-made side table decorated by CASA kids for $5,000; a ruby ring went to Dr. and Mrs. Ben Lee for $700; a stunning Thomas Mangelsen photograph of Aspen trees sold to Hal and Connie Roth for $3,000; Karen and Bill Young bought two round-trip airline tickets for $1,000, as well as Adidas clothing for $500; Ron and Nastassja Zappolo purchased a foursome of golf at the legendary, exclusive private course, The Sanctuary, for $3,500; an autographed Avalanche jersey fetched $1,400 from sports fans Scott and Beth Rigsby who also purchased the autographed Lance Armstrong Helmet for $1,800; Eric Matelski’s painted on-the-spot jazz quartet drew a winning bid of $1,750 from Marvin and Diane Kremer $1,750; Larry Pieters was the winning bidder at $3,000 for a full-sized playhouse; and Libby Weaver and Gregg Palmer won a gourmet steak package from Town and Country Foods, with their winning bid of $2,000. In total the live auction raised almost $26,000, with another $35,000 raised during the “sponsor a child” portion of the evening.