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Harry Lewis Receives Prestigious 2008 Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award for Contributions in the Field of Community Service
Annual Awards Program Honors Outstanding Coloradans with Lifetime Achievement Awards; Lewis Joins Elite Group of State’s Top Leaders and Professionals
Denver, April 15, 2008 – The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, a private, nonprofit corporation created to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado, has announced that Harry Lewis is a 2008 recipient of a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award. The annual awards are presented to one outstanding Coloradan in each of three fields, and this year Lewis was chosen as the recipient in the “Community Service” category for his years of service to the region.
“It is an honor to be recognized by an organization the caliber of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation,” said Lewis. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some of Denver’s top business, community and political leaders, and this award will be shared with everyone who has contributed along the way. I’ve lived in Denver for 72 years and have a passion for this city and the state of Colorado, and it’s rewarding to know that my service has somehow shaped our community’s bright future.”
In 1974 Lewis joined the board of Downtown Denver Inc. where he later served as chairman of the board starting in 1983. Lewis then went on to serve as chairman of the Downtown Denver Partnership beginning in 1987. In these positions, Lewis helped lead many important and historic initiatives, including the development of the 16th Street Mall and the revitalization of Downtown Denver. Through his work with the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, Lewis’s work led to the creation of the Regional Transportation District. In 1988, Lewis was part of a team that spearheaded the creation of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), and he currently heads the SCFD’s support organization “Citizens for Arts to Zoo.”
Lewis was also instrumental in the formation of the Stapleton Foundation in 1990. The group led collaboration efforts between Denver’s private sector and the city to initiate the redevelopment of the former Stapleton Airport; an initiative that has grown to be the largest urban infill project in the country.
“Colorado is home to some of the country’s most accomplished and talented individuals, and the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Awards recognize the Centennial State’s very best,” said Dorothy Horrell, president of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. “We’re honored to recognize Harry Lewis this year for his numerous inspirational accomplishments in Denver. He is truly one of the city’s most visionary and dedicated residents and pioneers.”
Lewis is also a tireless supporter of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS). In addition to serving as a trustee since 1979, in recent years Lewis helped establish the DMNS Foundation which, by the end of 2007, had grown to more than $90 million in assets. Lewis credits his inspiration for community service to his first mentor Warren Willard, who he met in the late 1960s.
As part of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award recognition, Lewis will be honored at an awards luncheon in early May and receive a cash award of $35,000.
“Harry Lewis has made it his lifelong mission to improve Denver through service to the city’s business and civic community, and his work has made an undeniable impact on how Denver has grown over the past three decades,” said Joe Blake, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
To receive a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award, honorees are nominated by colleagues and other community leaders. The pool of potential award recipients is reviewed by panels of past honorees, and the panels advance candidates to the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Board of Trustees which makes the final decision on each year’s honorees. The selection process is rigorous and highly competitive, and it can take several years of nominations before candidates are presented an award.
“The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation presents only three awards each year,” added Horrell. “Harry Lewis now joins an elite group of Coloradans, and we hope the award will help showcase his work to inspire the next generation of Colorado leaders.”
Established in 1984, the awards fulfill Charles Stanton’s desire to honor individuals who are making significant and unique contributions. Each year since then, the foundation has recognized outstanding Coloradans with the dual goals of bringing acclaim to their efforts, and motivating others to greater accomplishments on behalf of Colorado and its citizens.
About the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation created to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado. Charles Edwin Stanton established the Foundation in 1962 following the death of his wife, Mary Madeline (May) Bonfils Stanton. Mrs. Stanton was the daughter of Belle and Frederick Bonfils, a co-founder of The Denver Post newspaper.
The Foundation continues the legacy of its benefactor through grants to Colorado nonprofit organizations. The mission of the Foundation is to advance excellence in the areas of: Arts and Culture, Community Service, and Science and Medicine, through strategic investments resulting in significant and unique progress in these fields and across the nonprofit sector. Since its founding, the Foundation has awarded more than $44 million to nonprofit organizations throughout Colorado.