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Mile High United Way Raises Over $500,000 at 27th Annual Women United Luncheon

Guest Contributor — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:40:04 +0000

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Fri., April 17, 2025

CONTACT

Lea Deveraux

lea.devereaux@unitedwaydenver.org

720.518.6222

Mile High United Way Raises Over $500,000 at 27th Annual Women United Luncheon

Over 1,000 Attendees Gather to Celebrate the Power of Women & Girls

DENVER, COLO. – Mile High United Way raised more than $500,000 at its 27th Annual Women United Luncheon, held at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. Proceeds from the event will support critical programs that empower women and girls across Metro Denver, including access to stable housing, career pathways and high-quality child care.

Over 1,000 attendees joined Mile High United Way President and CEO Christine Benero and Academy Award-winning actress and guest speaker Mary Steenburgen for an inspiring afternoon focused on advancing opportunity and equity for women and girls. Over the past 27 years, the luncheon has raised more than $5 million in support of the organization’s Women United initiative.

“Today is not just about supporting Mile High United Way. It’s also a day when we, as community leaders, show united, unwavering support for Colorado’s women and girls and all of our community,” said Christine Benero, president and CEO of Mile High United Way. “When we step forward to support women and girls, we create a ripple of change.”

This year’s theme, Timeless, highlighted the enduring values of kindness, courage, integrity, and humility – principles that continue to guide the Women United community and its impact.

“For nearly three decades, this event has celebrated not only the strength of women, but the collective impact we can have when we lead with purpose,” Benero added. “ The compassion and encouragement we offer today becomes the strength they will carry forward for generations to come.”

The event also honored Arlene Hirschfeld with the 2026 Frances Wisebart Jacobs Award, recognizing her lifetime of leadership, philanthropy, and advocacy on behalf of women, children, education, and the arts. Named after one of Colorado’s most influential philanthropic leaders, the award pays tribute to Frances Wisebart Jacobs, whose legacy includes founding Mile High United Way, Jewish Family Service of Colorado, and National Jewish Health.

Hirschfeld’s decades of service include leadership roles with the Junior League of Denver, Rose Community Foundation, JEWISHcolorado, the Denver Art Museum, the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, and Girl Scouts of Colorado. She was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

“Each of us has one key thing in common: we care about others, and we show up for our community. Women United gives us such a powerful way to channel that passion – bringing together people who don’t only want to write a check, but who also want to roll up their sleeves and truly make a difference in the lives of others,” said Arlene Hirschfeld.

Attendees also heard from featured speaker Mary Steenburgen, an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actress whose decades-long career has been marked by iconic performances across film and television, as well as a deep commitment to philanthropy.

Mile High United Way early learning instructor and former program participant Dulce Pugh also spoke to attendees.

“Each person who has invested in Mile High United Way has become part of my story. The positive impact on families – parents and children helped here today – is timeless. Together, we are creating a new path for families,” said Dulce Pugh.

Click here for photos from the event. B-roll is available upon request.

The Women United Luncheon was presented by HCA HealthONE. The Speaker Sponsor was BOK Financial. The Frances Wisebart Jacobs Sponsor was ENT Financial. The Meet & Greet Sponsor was Southwest Airlines. The Giving Sponsor was Bank of Colorado. The VIP Reception Sponsor was the Morgridge Family Foundation. The Broadcast Sponsor was CBS Colorado, and the Print Sponsor was 5280 Magazine. Confident Sponsors were CoBank, Davis Graham, Molson Coors Beverage Company, PCL, and Suncor. Determined Sponsors were Congruex, Deloitte, Delta Dental of Colorado, EY, FirstBank, IMA Financial Group & Syntrinsic, Karen Kennedy, KeyBank, Northern Trust, Richmond American Foundation, Sullivan Financial Planning, and Xcel Energy.

About Mile High United Way

Working side-by-side with the community, Mile High United Way takes on critical human services issues facing our seven-county footprint, including the Metro Denver, Boulder, and Broomfield communities. Our united approach changes the odds for all children, families, and individuals in our community, so that all have the opportunity to succeed. Learn more at unitedwaydenver.org and follow us on social media @UnitedWayDenver.

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FoCoMX 2026 Music Festival Lineup Announced

Guest Contributor — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 06:52:05 +0000

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Press Contact: Fort Collins Musicians Association, info@focoma.org

For Immediate Release – 3/13/2026

Fort Collins, CO – The Fort Collins Musicians Association (FoCoMA) announces the all-Colorado music lineup for the 18th Annual Fort Collins Music eXperiment (FoCoMX).

FoCoMA and Fort Collins Connexion present FoCoMX, with founding support from Odell Brewing Co., the largest showcase of Colorado music, which will feature 450+ live performances on 40 stages. The festival will take place throughout Downtown Fort Collins on Friday, April 24th, and Saturday, April 25th. Attendees can expect to hear every genre of music and discover many new Colorado music acts. The festival lineup is designed to showcase the authenticity, talent, and creativity of Colorado musicians.

WHAT: FoCoMX 2026, Presented By: FoCoMA, Fort Collins Connexion, and Odell Brewing Co.
WHERE: 40 Downtown Fort Collins stages, including Aggie Theatre, Avogadro’s Number, Sound Bar, The Neighbor, The Magic Rat, Washington’s, and Odell Brewing Co.
DATE: Friday, April 24 & Saturday, April 25
TIMES: Festival kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2026
TICKETS: $60 advance tickets, $75 day-of tickets get you a two-day pass
AGES: many stages are all ages, and volunteers get free admission by working a shift
INFO, LINEUP, VOLUNTEERS, & TICKETS: www.focomx.org

The FoCoMX website has a comprehensive schedule with all the music performances for fans to browse, listen to bands, and plan their musical weekend. The website features the music lineup, schedules, volunteer opportunities, and filters to search by venue, genre, and day.

The full FoCoMX Artist Lineup includes 450+ acts representing all musical genres from Indie to Funk, and Bluegrass to Metal. The music lineup helps attendees to hear bands they are familiar with, while also discovering new talents. Performances are selected to provide something for every listener, every fan. Whether people prefer intimate performances, large concert experiences, or something in between, the festival lineup and venues allow for all musical experiences. The FoCoMX website offers fans ways to listen to bands ahead of time, build their own schedules, follow curated tracks, and sort by venue, genre, and more.

FoCoMX will host several special performances during FoCoMX 2026, including the showstopping high-energy sweaty soul of The Burroughs, searing alt country from Gasoline Lollipops, and a throwback show from Fort Collins own Fierce Bad Rabbit.

Other featured Colorado bands include Frail Talk, Erica Brown, Jesus Christ Taxi Driver, DOGTAGS, Slow Caves, Los Toms, John Magnie’s The Grocery Story, The Patti Fiasco, Graham Good and the Painters, izCALLi, Bitchflower, Write Minded, Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille, Beasts of No Nation, and The Crooked Rugs. This year, over a quarter of the acts are new to FoCoMX, making the lineup a chance for people to connect with new artists and discover emerging talent. Some of the talented artists to see include Alexa Wildish, The Lolly Bombs (founding member of The Flaming Lips), May Be Fern, Elke, Sunstoney, Baby Alpaca, Eve Coffman, Downey Chase, Alejandra Meza, Neoma, Blankslate, and All My Senses.

Other exciting acts for audiences to see include Las Mananas, Shadow Work, DUCKI, Old Man Saxon, Slim + María de Cessna, Mystee, Velvet Daydream, Big Pinch, ATOMGA, 2MX2, Spencer Zweifel and the Life or Death Situation, Eye-yoob, I Am the Owl, Blessing Bled Chimanga, and Gestalt.

Special elements at FoCoMX 2026 include multiple stages at single locations, including Avogadro’s Number, Odell Brewing Company, The Lyric, New Belgium Brewing, Equinox Brewing, and Wolverine Farm. The “Silent Disco”, located at the Exchange, will feature 14 Colorado deejays going head to head, including some of Colorado’s hottest talent.

On Saturday, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery will be host to four youth stages, creating an all-encompassing youth music experience. These stages will showcase youth performers of all ages and include the Launch Pad Stage, which is curated and run exclusively by young people in our community. That day, the museum will be free and open for people to explore the permanent exhibits, see live performances in spaces like the Digital Dome, including Boredom Fighters, the MOD Squad, School of Rock, and more.

The festival has some new cool downtown venues, including CooperSmith’s Pubside, All Sales Vinyl offering a true musical experiment genre mash-up, and Wobble HiFi showcasing songwriters, hip hop, and DJs. Other venues offering unique lineups include The Neighbor, which will feature Songwriters in the Round and a varied lineup of salsa, brass, alt country, and blues. Unique acts are also scattered throughout the schedule, featuring diverse musical shows including CSU’s UpBeats drum circle in Oak Street Plaza, Bourbon Brass Band in Oak Street Plaza, and the Fort Collins Symphony Wind Quintet at the Museum of Art Fort Collins.

FoCoMX started as a grassroots experiment in promoting local music. The festival is musician-focused, nonprofit, and volunteer-powered, and supports local musicians and The Fort Collins Musicians Association’s mission to provide education, support, and networking opportunities to the Fort Collins and the surrounding music community. Proceeds from the festival go to pay musicians for their performances, and a portion of the profits is reinvested by FoCoMA back into the local music scene through FoCoMA’s Music Trivia, FoCoMA Peer Awards, and The 53:14 Music Video Experiment.

FoCoMA aspires to create a sustainable and deep-rooted infrastructure that supports Northern Colorado music by encouraging businesses to include local music in their businesses, offering opportunities for musicians, and growing audiences. We aim to encourage new artists, support established musicians, and empower all artists through raising national awareness of the Northern Colorado music scene.

FoCoMX is presented by FoCoMA – Fort Collins Musicians Association and Fort Collins Connexion, with founding support from Odell Brewing Company.

The festival is supported by:

Gold Sponsors: Bohemian Foundation, Organic Alternatives, City of Fort Collins FoCo Creates Grant Program, Circle Drum Samples, Breeze Thru Car Wash, KRFC 88.9 FM, Bonfire Effect, Werge & Corbin Law Offices, RockFan Productions, KCSU FM, Indie 102.3 – Colorado Public Radio, and The Colorado Sound
Silver Sponsors: FAMLI, Elevations Credit Union, 94.9 FM Radio, and Music City Hot Chicken.
Bronze Sponsors: SouthState Bank, The Downtown Development Authority, Bank of Colorado, School Of Rock Fort Collins, Maida Trattoria, and Urban Egg.
Music Lover Sponsors: The Mueller Family, Signarama Fort Collins, Mugs Fort Collins, Go West T-Shirt Company, Bandwagon, Little Guys Movers, Best Western University Inn, Harry Backline, Boredom Fighters, Backstage Flash, Marc Leverette Photography, and Riff Rag.

CONNECT: http://www.focomx.org/ | http://www.facebook.com/focomx | Instagram: @FoCoMX

Public Information & Tickets at: www.focomx.org

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The post FoCoMX 2026 Music Festival Lineup Announced appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.