Gabe Landeskog and teammates wore autographed blue aprons and served breakfast. They later changed into suits and walked down a fashion runway. But pro hockey players weren’t the real stars inside the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center ballroom.
A collection of 21 Colorado kids — ages 4 to 17 — were the center of attention Sunday for the 2025 Avalanche Charity Brunch. “It’s one of my favorite days of the year,” said Landeskog, standing behind a breakfast buffet station of hash browns and scrambled eggs. “It’s great to be able to see some familiar faces and new faces.
But it’s for the kids. We make sure they feel like it’s their day, too. It’s special.
” The annual event, hosted by the Avs Better Halves, is a fundraiser for Kroenke Sports Charities to help provide yearlong community programming throughout Colorado. But it represents much more to about 600 children who’ve participated since 1997 when it began under the direction of Pierre Lacroix, the legendary Avalanche general manager and president (1995-2013). Charlotte Grahame was the longtime Avalanche vice president of hockey operations (1995-2022) who helped launch the event.
The charity brunch started as an auction to benefit the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. It evolved around 1999 to include a fashion runway show to give children facing serious health challenges the spotlight along with an Avalanche player. “It was really Pierre’s vision and leadership,” Grahame told The Denver.
