Robert H. Rawlings Foundation, Andrew Trainor, Dr. Patricia Orman, and Las Comadres will be honored as part of the Colorado State University Pueblo 2024 President’s Blue and Red Gala on Saturday, May 18. Proceeds from the Gala directly benefit future generations of CSU Pueblo students through scholarships and programs.
The 2024 President’s Blue and Red Gala will begin at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails in the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom Foyer & Patio. Tickets for the 2024 President’s Gala are $150 per person or $2,000 for a corporate table of eight. Information on tickets, sponsorships, and corporate tables is available through the CSU Pueblo Foundation at 719-549-2307 or at www.csupueblogala.com.
Aladdin Campus Dining has created a decadent menu, and Big Bear Wine and Liquor, in conjunction with STIFEL and Mark Kennedy, has selected fine wines to pair with the menu. Entertainment for the evening will feature Mariachi Lobos on the Occhiato Patio, flamenco guitarist Benjamin Johnson, and dances performed by Ballet Folklorico.
The Robert H. Rawlings Foundation will receive the CSU Pueblo 2024 President’s Distinguished Award for Service to the Community. The Rawlings Foundation has supported CSU Pueblo students and CSU Pueblo Athletics with donations totaling more than $2 million. In 2019, the Rawlings Foundation pledged $1 million to renovate the Rawlings Sports Complex, which was built in 1994. The renovated complex, renamed “The ART”, provides top-notch training and game facilities for baseball and softball. The Rawlings Foundation, Rawlings and the Hoag family members continue to support a variety of academic and athletic scholarships at CSU Pueblo, such as the Bernard O. Schmidt Scholarship, Dorothy Hoag Rawlings Scholarship, Frank S. Hoag, Jr. Scholarship, Mildred Hoag Evans Scholarship, Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation Freshman Scholarship, and the Sandy Graham Rawlings Scholarship.
Andrew Trainor has been selected as this year’s CSU Pueblo 2024 President’s Award for Distinguished Alumni Achievement. Trainor’s significant contributions to CSU Pueblo have had a tremendous impact on students, alumni, and supporters. From Trainor’s many years of service as a Foundation Trustee, serving as Vice Chair, and now a sustaining member supporting fundraising efforts and scholarships, to the immeasurable support of Pack Athletics, Trainor is truly the epitome of this distinct honor. Trainor’s financial generosity through student scholarships in honor of those he admires and appreciates make an impact on campus every day. Accolades in the banking industry, as InBank’s President of Community Banking, and co-founder of Legacy Bank have been instrumental in transforming Pueblo’s financial landscape, evidenced by the bank’s growth of total assets from $50 million and one location to a remarkable $1 billion portfolio across 18 locations and two states.
Dr. Patricia Orman, a stalwart of education and dedicated servant of CSU Pueblo, will be honored with the CSU Pueblo 2024 President’s Distinguished Award for Service to Education for her unwavering commitment and exceptional contributions to the university. Arriving at CSU Pueblo in the 1970s, she planted her roots and flourished within its academic community. Notably, as chair of the mass communications department, her visionary leadership shaped minds and futures. Driven by her passion for cultivating leaders, she spearheaded the creation of the President’s Leadership Program in collaboration with the El Pomar Foundation in 1999. Moreover, her tireless efforts extended to the development of curriculum, and the recruitment of both students and faculty, fortifying the mass communication program’s excellence. Beyond her professional duties, Dr. Orman’s generosity shines through her philanthropic endeavors, with nearly $22,000 donated to the university and various scholarships and programs. Her legacy stands as a testament to the transformative power of education and the indelible mark of selfless service.
Las Comadres will receive the CSU Pueblo 2024 President’s Distinguished Award for Service to the University. Las Comadres is comprised of former students of CSU Pueblo and other Colorado universities. They are mothers, grandmothers, and active members of the Pueblo community. Las Comadres members are also accomplished public school and higher education professionals, published writers, successful small business owners, corporate executives, and past and current city and county leaders. Each and every one of the Las Comadres love Pueblo, especially its youth. They wish to create a pathway for today’s CSU Pueblo students and adult learners to achieve their goals and become tomorrow’s leaders.
For more information or to purchase tickets or a table to the GALA go www.csupueblogala.com
