Castle Pines resident aids in the fight against breast cancer
Article by Julie Montoya, with photo submitted by Rick Rivers
For more then 10 years, Castle Pines Village resident Rick Rivers has been committed to the fight against breast cancer. Rivers’ mother is a breast cancer survivor, and being a father of four daughters, including two granddaughters, breast cancer awareness is a subject that is close to his heart.
Since 2001, Rivers has been a part of The Men For The Cure (MFTC) Foundation. Every year, the MFTC foundation hosts a Gentlemen’s Dinner to raise funds for breast cancer research and outreach. Rivers has served on multiple committees and has participated as a table sponsor. Each year, as many as 700 notable businessmen and community leaders attend this gentlemen’s dinner. To date, the dinner has raised nearly $1.2 million to advance breast cancer research, care, and early detection education.
During the years, speakers have included such prominent figures as Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, sportswriter Rick Reilly, and former major league pitcher Goose Gossage. Many prominent Colorado figures have also served as honorary chairs for event organizing committees. Men like the Governor of Colorado, the honorable John Hickenlooper; John Elway, Denver Broncos VP for football operations; and Pete Coors, chairman of Miller/Coors Brewing Company.
This year’s Gentlemen’s Dinner will be held on October 16. Rivers is co-chairing the MFTC dinner, along with Thierry Kennel, the general manager for the Denver Four Seasons Hotel. This year’s event marks the twelfth year the foundation has been in existence. The 2012 Gentlemen’s Dinner will include a raffle for a 2013 Mercedes 550CL, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Littleton. The event will be held at the notable Denver XJet hangar. The guest speaker will be 1982 Masters Champion and professional golf legend Craig “The Walrus” Stadler.
The 2012 Gentlemen’s Dinner launch party will kick off June 11 with a reception held at the Denver Four Seasons Hotel, where gentlemen can purchase tables for the dinner, as well as raffle tickets for the 2013 Mercedes (only 200 raffle tickets will be sold for this incredible luxury automobile!).
Philanthropist Sharon Magness Blake and television news personality Ed Greene founded the MFTC foundation in 2000. It was created in memory of Diane O’Connor Thompson, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1999. In 2010, official sponsorship was moved to the University of Colorado Hospital Foundation.
More information on the Men for the Cure Foundation and the Gentlemen’s Dinner can be found at www.uch.edu/about/ways-to-give/foundation-events/men-for-the-cure/.
