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Dahlia: Community gets an assist from Avs Better Halves

Published May 3, 2006 at midnight

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The Colorado Avalanche worked as a team to get through Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs Sunday against the Dallas Stars. But another bunch of "teammates" were the real stars when it comes to helping those in need.

Last month, the wives and girlfriends of the Avalanche players and coaches hosted the annual Avs Better Halves brunch and fashion show to benefit Kroneke Sports Charities and Avs Better Halves community projects.

The projects involve agencies such as Project CURE, the Denver Children's Advocacy Center, the Denver Center for Crime Victims and Children's Hospital, which supplied the young models for the fashion show.

Hospital ambassadors modeled hand in hand with Avalanche players, all wearing the coolest clothes from Neiman Marcus.

Among the player-patient dynamic duos on the catwalk were Antti Laaksonen and Galen Batson, 13, who had a bone-marrow transplant in 2002; Karlis Skrastins and Noa Rose Baumgarten, 10, who had surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2002; Ian Laperriere and Gabrielle Bayless, 8, another brain-tumor survivor; Brett McLean and Whitney Boyce, 8, who was born with a rare congenital brain abnormality; and head coach Joel Quenneville and Max Burkett, 2, who underwent open-heart surgery when he was only 9 months old.

Other fashionable Avs and ambassadors on the runway included captain Joe Sakic and Jessica Kramer, 11; Bob Boughner and Alexa Culshaw, 13; Steve Konowalchuk and Tillie Yael Cohen, 21 months; Brad May and Austin Connely, 8; Brett Clark and Dominic Michael Desormeaux, 8; Alex Tanguay and Anise Fletcher, 13; Milan Hejduk and Dominic Harden, 12; Pierre Turgeon and Ryan Haynes, 8; Brad Richardson and Keegan Leavell, 12; Andrew Brunette and Anthony Martinez, 13; Rob Blake and Samuel "Nolan" Ramsey, 3; Jose Theodore and Jenna Reichart, 4; Dan Hinote and Gabby Roose, 2; and John-Michael Liles and Kurt Sauer, who escorted Molly Kirk, 14, and Abbi White-Hulce, 6, down the runway.

A few lucky ambassadors had two Avalanche escorts. Madeline Okano, 7, cruised the catwalk with assistant coaches Jacques Cloutier and Tony Granato. Annette Pride, 16, was escorted by goalies Peter Budaj and Marek Svatos. Sarah Schenkein, 7 1/2, sashayed down the runway with Patrice Brisebois and Vitaly Kolesnik. And Alex Wissmann, 11, walked with Jim Dowd and Cody McCormick.

As an added treat, the kids got to keep the clothes they modeled.

This year's show was dedicated to a former model and ambassador, Gage Daniel Edwards, who lost his battle against a brain and spinal tumor last year.

The heartwarming benefit included a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind gift baskets filled with Avalanche players' favorite things and a buffet-style brunch served by the players and coaches.

Their wives and girlfriends were busy selling mystery boxes to guests for $20 a pop; one contained a white-gold and diamond bauble from Chevalier Jewelers worth $4,500. They also sold autographed aprons worn by the players and coaches who served brunch.

Better halves at the fete included coaches' wives Lynn Cloutier, Linda Granato and Elizabeth Quenneville and players wives Brandy Blake, Jennifer Boughner, Michele Brisebois, Lorie Brunette, Candace Clark, Lisa Dowd, Zlatuse Hejduk, Mariya Kolesnik, Leah Konowalchuk, Jennifer Laaksonen, Magali Laperriere, Brigette May, Carmen Sauer, Zane Skrastins, Elisabeth Turgeon and Debbie Sakic, who, like her husband, is a team leader for the annual benefit.

Girlfriends of players included Maria Verti (Liles), Diana Block (Svatos), Helene Bernard (Tanguay), Stephanie Cloutier (Theodore) and Mirella Kiullias (Vaananen).

Among those enjoying the brunch and show were Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix and his wife, Colombe; Children's Hospital trustee Walter Isenberg and his wife, Christie; Kroenke Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Paul Andrews and his wife, Marlie; Kroenke Chief Financial Officer Mark Waggoner and his wife, Janeen; and Altitude Network CEO Jim Martin and his wife, Jana.

Avs Better Halves has raised more than half a million dollars since its inception in 1997.

For information on Avs Better Halves and its fundraisers, call Kroenke Sports Charities, 303-405-1104, or visit (click on the "Off the Ice" icon, then "Community").

Dahlia Jean Weinstein is the society writer. or 303-892-2882