February 24, 2010

Hospice benefit to honor founder

By John Gleason

A tireless worker who cared as much for those who had nothing as she did for her own family will herself be honored next month at the 10th annual Soup for the Soul gala to benefit Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice. 

More than 800 people are expected to take part and sample soups from some of Denver’s swankiest restaurants, as well as to pay tribute to Marie Sevier, who died last April.

One of the founders of Hospice of Peace, Sevier will be recognized as the 2010 Award of Courage recipient, given to those who have handled themselves with grace and dignity and who have inspired others along the way.  She was a person who always seemed to be putting other people before herself, according to her daughter Megan Fante.

“Mom was very much about the poor—about those who have nothing,” she said. “All of us children learned that from the time we were little.  Mom was never afraid to go out and tackle things that others might shy away from.  Trained as a nurse she was a natural caregiver, and one day she thought it was a good idea to start a hospice.  And as it happened, it turned out to be the first one in Denver.”

Marie Sevier and her husband Ted had 11 children.  She organized the Food Bank Coalition in 1974, which provided emergency food through 17 distribution centers to nearly 10,000 families.  She was chairwoman for Share Bread Colorado and initiated the Christian Family Movement in the Archdiocese of Denver. 

In 2008, Marie was diagnosed with cancer and eventually ended up in the hospice program she had started more than 20 years ago. 

Ted Sevier, who retired from the sporting goods industry, now works as a volunteer for the Archdiocese of Denver’s Pastoral Center. He said he couldn’t be more proud of his late wife or the honor being bestowed on her.

“I don’t believe you could sum her up in just a few words,” he said.  “She did so much for so many people, whatever she put her mind to.  Marie could raise money, get people organized, set up a food bank in our garage—whatever needed to be done, she got done.”

Stacie Schubert is chairwoman of this year’s event.  She said that in addition to hosting a fine array of Denver’s best bistros in support of a good cause, the organization is proud to focus on someone who gave so tirelessly of herself for years.
“On this 10th anniversary of Soup for the Soul, we wanted to honor someone who’s had such a notable impact on our community, and Marie did just that,” she said.

In addition to the soup sampling, attendees to the event can take part in a silent auction featuring works of art by many local and nationally known artists.

Founded in 1984, Hospice of Peace began home hospice services and became the first licensed hospice in Colorado.  Ten years later, Provenant Community Care set up Hospice of Peace as a corporation owned by Provenant and Catholic Charities. In 2007, Hospice of Peace changed its name to St. Anthony Hospice and continues to this day as the only Catholic hospice in the city.  And it started from one woman’s idea.

“I don’t know what motivated her about the hospice,” Fante said. “She simply wanted it to be Catholic and she wanted to care for the dying.”

Soup for the Soul is set 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. March 18 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1550 Court Place. Tickets are $95. Purchase online at SoupfortheSoul Denver.org or by calling 303-715-7612.