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2023 EVENT PROGRAM

Thank you for joining us.
We cannot wait to share this special night with you!

WELCOME

WELCOME

Dear Community,

Change starts with students. At Access Opportunity, our students inspire us every day. We have seen them evolve from 10th graders in high school to college graduates. Their growth has changed the trajectory for their families and their communities. They have motivated Access Opportunity to work hard and keep growing.

Access Opportunity is proud of our evolution as well. We have increased opportunities for student leadership and voice, focused on social and emotional health, and we have gotten better at helping our students on their journeys through high school to college and career.

 

Our numbers of students served, our donor community, and our team have all grown.

 

Thank you for fueling our growth and believing in our work.

 

With gratitude,

Yuri Shane
Executive Director/Co-Founder

Students smiling and holding up a banner saying "This is my AO Family"

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

SILENT AUCTION

DINNER & DRINKS
FEATURING:
Ash'Kara
Aviano
Blackbelly
Fruition & Mercantile
Los Chingones
Mama Lolita's Mexican
Mister Oso
Root Down
Uchi
Uncle


Music by: Rachel Alena Music

PRESENTATION PORTION OF THE EVENING

OPENING REMARKS

LIVE AUCTION

STUDENT SPEAKERS

SPECIAL APPEAL

RAFFLE

CLOSING REMARKS

AUCTION CHECK-OUT

LIVE AUCTION

LIVE AUCTION
Home in Breckenridge

WELCOME HOME

TO BRECKENRIDGE

  • 7 night stay

  • Home located 1 mile from town, and is a 3 minute drive to the gondola

  • 4 bedrooms - sleeps 10

  • Great retreat year-round

Restrictions: Subject to availability.

7 consecutive nights

Expires March 2, 2024.

Nikola Jokic dribbling a basketball in front of the crowd

PRIVATE SUITE for 

NUGGETS GAME

  • Suite includes 20 tickets and 5 parking passes

  • Food and beverage included, with a value up to $1,000

  • Mutually agreed upon game in October, November, or December of the 2023-24 basketball season

Valid for the 2023-24 basketball season. Does not include opening game.

Donated by: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

A helicopter hovering over 4 skiers

HELITRAX

  • Heli-skiing with Telluride Helitrax, CO's ultimate helicopter skiing and snowboarding experience

  • 2 days of heli-skiing for 1 person or 1 day for 2 people

  • Over 200 square miles of untracked and majestic terrain

  • 3 night stay at The Peaks Resort in a Grande Alpine Vista Suite

 

Restrictions: Must be a strong skier. Must be used in 2023-24 ski season.

Donated by: Telluride Helitrax and the Herrick Family

Rock formations in the ocean with sailboats in front

CABO GETAWAY

  • 3-night stay at the romantic Esperanza resort, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection

  • Dinner for 2 at charming Flora Farms, a field to table restaurant

  • 2 spaces on Cabo Adventures' Luxury Sailing Cabo Tour including sun, snorkeling, paddleboarding, gourmet lunch, and transportation

  • Round trip transfers between:

  • Airport and Esperanza Resort​

  • Esperanza Resort and Flora Farm

Restrictions: Subject to availability. Hotel credit up to $5,000 including taxes/fees. Restaurant reservation, sailing tour reservation, and transportation must be booked far in advance. Expires March 2, 2024.

Donated by: Hotel Engine and Cabo Adventures

golf course

KOHLER GOLF WEEKEND for 4 at THE AMERICAN CLUB

  • 2 double rooms for 2 nights at five-star American Club resort in Kohler, WI

  • Includes foursome of golf on two of the top-100 golf resorts in the world:

    • Whistling Straits Course (with caddie)​

    • Blackwolf Run, Meadow Valley Course

 

Restrictions: Valid through the 2024 golf season and based on availability. Caddie gratuity excluded.

Donated by: Destination Kohler

group of people smiling with wine glasses in front of a mountainscape

ASPEN FOOD & WINE CLASSIC (JUNE 16-18, 2023)

  • 2 tickets to the 40th annual Aspen Food & Wine Classic

  • Access to the Grand Tasting Pavilion

  • Opportunity to sign up for 40+ wine seminars and cooking demonstrations

  • 3 night stay at the historic Hotel Jerome

  • Cherry Creek Gnat Jewelers ($2500)

Restrictions: The Hotel Jerome is only valid June 15-18 for the Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

Donated by: Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Gnat Jewelers, and Hotel Jerome

private jet in front of ocean and mountains

FLY AWAY

  • 4 hours of luxury travel in a Citation X private jet

  • Space for 8 people

  • Service throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Restrictions: Must be used for one round trip flight. Subject to availability. Expires March 2, 2024.

3 chefs smiling

CELEBRITY CHEF

DINNER PARTY

  • You Pick: Private dinner for 10 or Party for 30

  • Catered by Top Chef Winner and Finalists

    • Joe Flamm, Joe Sasto, and Denver's own, Carrie Baird

  • Paired with the perfect cocktail or wine (includes sommelier)

  • Work with the chefs to design your menu

Restrictions: Expires March 2, 2024. Mutually agreed upon date.

 

Donated by: Culinary Creative, Joe Flamm, Joe Sasto, and Carrie Baird

MISSION

MISSION

Our mission is to create opportunities for high-potential students from low-income households to define their individual path through high school, college and career, ultimately benefiting the lives of others.

We do this by supporting talented students who have power to make great impact, focusing on their individual needs and career dreams.

IMPACT

IMPACT

AO Students smiling with their college shirts

3.7

AVERAGE COLLEGE GPA

Compared to 2.6 for first-gen students nationally

AO Class of 2024 students posing together

$48,422

IN GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

On average, our Class of 2026 students earned

compared to their average yearly
cost of attendance,
$45,127

Student posing in front of their college wearing their graduation cap and gown and holding up their diploma

The average income for AO families
is
$33,196 compared to

$57,000

AVERAGE STARTING SALARY FOR AO ALUMS

APPEAL

APPEAL

$25,000

Pays for our Social-Emotional Learning programming for a year

$10,000

Provides 4 years of Access Opportunity scholarship for one college student

$5,000

Covers a workshop to bring students together

$2,500

Provides career assessments for one class of students

5 students posing with 1 staff member in front of a tree
Student holding up her graduation cap which says "Por Usteded y Para Ustedes" which means "By you and for you" referring to her parents.

$1,000

Covers college counseling and application essay support

$500

Provides college textbooks for one college student for a semester

$250

Provides student transportation to a group workshop

$100

Pays for standardized test fees for one student

COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE

Dave Adams
Rachel Alena and Jason Leach
Claire and Brent Anderson
Shawn Barker
Janie Bracken
Mary and Doug Bradford
Cheryl and John Brady
Paula Burns

Libby and Scott Crouch
Janet and Fred Doyle
Trista and Dan Fisher
Bo and David Fleck
Kelly and KC Gallagher

Berkley Gamble and Nathan Schweid
Lisa and Doug Granat
Kathryn and Mark Haber
Susie and John Hayes
Christy and Tom Holman

Pam and Steve Jeffords

Wendy and Bob Kaufman

Kristen and Kevin Kelly
Dana and Mike Kercheval
Shannon and Jeff Knobel
Debbie and Brent LaBier
Amy and Andrew Larson

Kim Layne and Ranulfo Gonzalez
Melissa and Ryan Lee
Cindy and Kyle Lefkoff
Cheryl McBay and Jay Prassl
Nicki McTague and Ben Krugman
Pat and Tom Metz
Jane Michaels and Marne Obernauer
Michelle and Kevin Mize
Georgia Montoya and Zeyen Wu
Becky and Andrew Morley
Carla Morrison

Georgia and David Nelson

Juan Padro

Stacey and Drew Panayiotou

Lisa Pauley and Dave Taylor
Dianne and Dan Rabbitt
Pam and Lee Reichert

Lauren Russo
Judy and Steve Savage
Lisa and Jim Scatena
Kathy Schultz and David Paul
Ann and RJ Scott
Yuri Shane and Rob Martin
Sandy and Steve Smith
Susan and Tom Stahl
Susannah Thulson and Bob Webster
Kara and Eric Vinton
Chally and Rick Wiener
Kristi and Leroy Williams
Lisa Williams and Charles Johnson

SPONSORS

SUMMA CUM LAUDE
Cigna Logo
Goldman Sachs Logo
MAGNA CUM LAUDE
SPONSORS
CUM LAUDE
AJ Kirkegaard Logo
Deloitte Logo
Trailhead Wealth Management logo
DaVita Logo
KPMG_Plus_Strapline_LargeUse_CMYK_US_noT
Pwc Logo
Trimble Logo
Dean Callan logo
MAXX Properties logo
Westland Development Services Inc. Logo
IN-KIND
Ball Corporation logo
Denver Test prep logo
RESTAURANTS & DRINK PARTNERS

RESTAURANTS & DRINK PARTNERS

Bird Bakery Logo
Blackbelly Logo
Uchi Logo
Infinite Monkey Theorem Logo
Uncle Ramen Logo
Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits Logo

EVENT DONORS

EVENT DONORS

Thank you to everyone who donated this year.
Your contributions help make this event possible.

SPECIAL THANKS

SPECIAL THANKS

ALLEGRA PRINTING

JOHN SNELSON

RACHEL ALENA MUSIC

MARC PISCOTTY

MIHI ENTERTAINMENT

BOLDER EVENTS

PRODUCT AV

ROCKY MOUNTAIN VALET INC.

EVENT RENTS

HOP & OIL, LLC

THE GALA TEAM

CARRIE ALLEMAN

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