(Feb. 24, 2009) For the 19th consecutive year, the Alumni Association on the Downtown Campus teamed up with Rock Bottom Brewery on the 16th Street Mall to raise a ruckus . . . as well as money for student scholarships. For nearly two decades, Rock Bottom has closed its doors to the public for one night and provided all the beverages food and wait staff so that every dime of the fund-raiser can go toward helping our top students fund their education.

About 250 alumni and university supporters bought tickets to this year’s Rock Bottom Ruckus, held Feb. 8, helping to raise more than $76,000 for undergraduate and graduate scholarships.

A highlight of the annual event is always the silent auction. This year’s offerings included such notable items as organic beef (the high bidder being Aaron Wishon, assistant vice chancellor of IT Services), boutique wine (purchased by Jeff Parker, associate vice chancellor of finance administration), a stay at a condo in Cabo San Lucas, a Caribbean Cruise and front-row tickets to sporting events such as Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games.

Carol Heller, director of the alumni association downtown, noted hot ticket items included restaurant gift certificates from The Palm (which donated several gifts), Morten’s and Fruition.

Eight student scholarship recipients volunteered at the event, as well as university administrators. Even in tight times, this year’s event matched that of last year.

Thanks to the Ruckus and other fund-raising efforts, the alumni association was able to give out 40 scholarships the past year. Undergraduate recipients received $2,500 a year; graduate recipients received $3,500 a year.

Notes Heller: “Since our partnership with the Rock Bottom Restaurant, we have raised more than $800,000 benefiting scholarships on our campus.”

Photos: Top, student volunteers and scholarship recipients pose with Alumni Association board member and former University of Colorado at Denver Chancellor Georgia Lesh Laurie (center in blue). Students are, from left, Brooke Parsons, Phoebe Coleman, Angelina Rodriguez, Josiah Albertsen and Krissy Stange. At right, university participants and volunteers included, from left, Dave Turnquist, associate vice chancellor of facilities operations, Louise Vale, associate vice chancellor of budget operations, Kevin Jacobs, assistant vice chancellor of human resources, Aaron Wishon, assistant vice chancellor of IT Services, Teresa Berryman, vice chancellor of administration and finance, John Allison, assistant vice chancellor of facilities projects, and Jeff Parker, associate vice chancellor of finance administration.