Outward Bound: Dahlia: Outward Bound crowd dons its dress sneakers and ties one on

By Dahlia Weinstein

May 26, 2005

Are you one of those outdoor adventure types?

Does the thought of attending a black-tie fundraiser bring you to tears?

If so, the annual Black Tie, Tuxes & Tennis Shoes Gala benefiting Outward Bound might be more your speed.

The gala, which just celebrated its second year under the larger-than-life tent of the Universal Lending Pavilion, offers a dose of daring Outward Bound spirit, where guests can dress eclectically with adventure on their minds.

Climbing walls, zip lines, multi-vines, a Burma bridge, swing steps, a trapeze and rappelling were among the activities available to gala guests.

Those who preferred dining, shopping and dancing could do that, too.

A delicious sit-down dinner from Three Tomatoes Catering, live and silent auctions and dancing to the Nacho Men also were part of the deal.

Outward Bound is a nonprofit adventure-education organization serving four wilderness schools, two urban centers and a primary and secondary school-reform venture.

Its programs, which make 60,000 adult and youth participants better in their boardrooms and classrooms each year, emphasize personal growth, self-reliance, responsibility, teamwork, confidence, compassion and environmental and community stewardship through challenges in the wilderness.

Among the adventurous Outward Bound advocates were honorary co-chairman Mayor John Hickenlooper, who took his turn on the adventure course; steering committee co-chairwoman Leigh Sinclair and her husband, Arlan Preblud; co-chairman Fred Wolfe and his wife, Nancy; corporate chairman Charlie Davis and his wife, Liz; Wolfe's daughter, patron co-chairwoman Katie Agron, and her husband, Adam; Sinclair's son, patron co-chairman Bill Sinclair; Golden-based Outward Bound Wilderness President Bruce Fitch and his wife, Gini Bradley; national Outward Bound President John Read; and Frontier Airlines director of communications and Outward Bound alumnus Andrew Hudson and his wife, Denise. Andrew introduced scholarship students Ana Silvia Avenadano-Curiel, who joined the Southwest Whitewater Expedition in 2004, and Shaina Maytum, who was part of the Colorado Rockies Mountaineering trip in 2004.

Emcee and 9News anchorman Bob Kendrick co-hosted the evening's auction with Gail Kats. The top three auction items were Natural Habitat Adventure's Polar Bear Tundra Lodge Expedition, bought by Chip Ruth; Flying in Style, a trip for four on a Learjet 55 for four consecutive travel days, donated by Charlie Gates and Diane Wallach and bought by Amy Harmon; and an Argentina Fantasy Trip, a five-day adventure for six spirited travelers beginning in Buenos Aires and ending at Ezcurra's Estancia, an Argentine ranch, bought by John Shaw.

These items brought in $35,000, contributing to the estimated $450,000 total.

Proceeds support Outward Bound's scholarships for young people and its quality and safety standards.

For more information about Outward Bound wilderness programs, visit www.outwardboundwilderness.org. To learn more about the Outward Bound organization, visit www.outwardbound.org or call Sara Pond, 720-497-2458.