Evolution Digital Teams with Local Companies to Give Struggling Family a Dream Christmas

By Evolution & Douglas/Elbert Task Force Staff | Mon, 19 Dec 2011

Centennial, CO, 12/19/2011 - Evolution Digital, a Denver based cable technology company, coordinated a dream day for a local cancer patient and her family.  The Freeman family of Parker, Colorado are clients of the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, a non-profit organization serving Douglas and Elbert County residents in need to "help them get through troublesome times with dignity," and the family was “matched” with Evolution Digital in its Santa’s Sharing Program. 

“We had steady, good paying jobs,” explains Darrick, father and husband of the Freeman family. “We love the Colorado outdoors, movies at home and driving across the country to experience "that pizza place" we saw on T.V. Times were good. Then in 2006, Dera was diagnosed with melanoma (skin cancer), thought to be a side effect from cancers years prior. Our family endured the surgeries together--over 25 in the last few years.”

During that time, "Darrick was laid off from his loan officer position," said Dera.  "Darrick took on retail jobs to help feed the four of us. We down-sized our home and lost our two vehicles."

Darrick and Dera hitched rides from friends or walked back and forth to work. Life no longer became about planning vacations and scheduling flights to see family. It "evolved literally into survival day to day."

The only thing Darrick requested for Christmas was a day of beauty for his wife, who struggles with scarring and hair loss since her melanoma diagnosis. 

That touched the core of Evolution Digital, and their staff began reaching out to the community.  The first call was to hair dresser Erin Daughtery of Elevations by Erin, who quickly lined up new Castle Rock salon Whimsy on Wilcox for the entire day. One of the hottest makeup artists in Denver, Jessica Chynoweth of Reel Makeup, signed up as well.  Everyone’s time was completely donated. 

Then Evolution Digital really got busy.  “We thought let’s see who else might be interested in helping the Freeman family,” explains Nita Siegrist of Evolution Digital.  “After a day at the salon, we didn’t want her to be dressed up with nowhere to go!”

Dera was shocked when Darrick picked her up from salon in a luxury SUV with driver, theirs for the evening, donated by Jay’s Valet, to take Dera to dinner.  “One of our core values is helping others.  It gives us a true sense of purpose when we were asked to a part of the Freeman’s special evening,” said Jay Mills, owner of Jay’s Valet. “We wish Dera and her family a holiday filled with unexpected surprises and much happiness.”

Darrick presented Dera with a lovely bouquet from Mainstreet Flower Market in Parker, who were honored to be able to provide beautiful flowers for a special family in our town.  We love to support our local town and patrons for such a wonderful cause.”

Her beautiful new look delighted everyone.  “Dera already had beautiful hair, said hairdresser Erin Daugherty, “so I wanted to give her a much desired change and brighten and lighten everything for her.  It was apparent after spending the day with Dera, there could have been no one more deserving.  She was a blessing to be around – a person humbled by her experiences, but rich in wisdom and kindness.” 

On to the Colorado Golf Club, in Parker, where the club provided a magical evening for the couple. The Freeman’s were welcomed into the exclusive, private club with a bottle of champagne and led into the breathtaking Paintbrush Room, which is lavishly decorated with its own Christmas tree, a dazzling fireplace and surrounded by windows looking over the championship golf course and the front range. 

”We felt like we won the lottery when we got the call that we were being sponsored by Evolution Digital,” said Dera.  "We had to sit over dinner and even think about what we would even want or should ask for." The only thing Dera asked for herself was a pair of new glasses. They haven't been able to afford glasses and she described her self-consciousness about so many scars from surgeries and the fact that she no longer has eyelashes.  Europtics donated a free eye exam and a new top of the line glasses that can last her for years. “Europtics made us feel so comfortable and welcome,” said Darrick.

“The whole experience was wonderful. When we were at the Douglas/Elbert Task Force and decided to sign up for this program it was a real humbling moment. Now I’m so glad we did.”

Their daughter Maya, a huge music fan that just turned 16 years old, also received some local perks for Christmas. AEG Live, who is organizing the Denver Acoustic Christmas: A Concert for Charity featuring OneRepublic, Isaac Slade and Joe King from The Fray, Matt Morris, Bop Skizzum and members of the Flobots, donated two tickets for Maya and a friend. 

“They really are an amazing family who care deeply about each other,” said Katie Beth Kauffman, Marketing Manager at Evolution Digital. “It's amazing to see their positive attitudes in the midst of battling cancer and job losses.  They’re still are able to laugh and enjoy each other.”

Local nursery and landscaping company, Arapahoe Landscapes, has donated a live 8-foot Christmas tree to the Freeman Family.  The community rallied around and embraced the Freeman Family this Christmas. 

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About Evolution Digital (www.evolutionbb.com)

Evolution Digital, LLC has rapidly entered the cable television equipment industry by challenging the status quo and developing creative and cost effective solutions that enable cable operators to convert their systems to an all-digital video platform. This Denver, Colorado based company delivers a complete digital turnkey solution to enable cable operators to economically deploy advanced digital cable services by improving the utilization of existing cable plant through recapturing bandwidth, thus increasing their competitive viability.

About Douglas/Elbert Task Force (www.detaskforce.org)

The Douglas/Elbert Task Force is a 501(c)(3) non-profit human service organization dedicated to providing assistance to people in Douglas and Elbert Counties who are in serious economic need, at risk of homelessness, or in similar crisis.  We endeavor to meet the immediate needs of residents of Douglas and Elbert County who are in financial distress and at risk of becoming homeless, to help them work through troublesome times with dignity.

Our 27-year-old agency provided over $915,000 in assistance to almost 15,000 clients in 2010—half of whom were children.  We meet these challenges with a small staff and 162 dedicated volunteers. To learn more about the D/ETF, please see our website at www.detaskforce.org.  Your financial assistance, your donations of merchandise and food, and your volunteer time are sorely needed and greatly appreciated.  Friend us on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/Douglas.Elbert.Task.Force

About Elevations by Erin (http://www.elevationsbyerin.com)

Elevations owner and stylist explains… one of my favorite moments in a day is watching a client come in with heaviness and walk out with a lifted spirit.  The delight in a new look, a restoration, or simply a need to escape the everyday is unlike any other.  The way we feel about how we look can change our attitudes, how we interact with others and the way we go about our day.  I love being a part of making people feel wonderful! 

About Whimsy on Wilcox (http://www.whimsyonwilcox.com/) 

WHIMSY ON WILCOX, SALON is a Booth Rental Salon and is PROUD of the combined talent of our Hair Stylists and we offer prices to meet EVERYONE’S needs!  Not only do we offer fabulous hair care and services, we are proud to offer a unique and fun assortment of purses, hats, belts, jewelry and gift items.  You won’t find any of our purses, jewelry, watches, hats or hairbands anywhere else in the Metro Denver area due to our Buyer Beth shopping in markets in Florida, California and Texas!

About Reel Makeup (http://www.reelmakeup.com/) 

Reel Makeup features professional makeup artist, Jessica Chynoweth, with over 12 years in the film, television and event industry. Makeup is not just about making people look great and be camera ready, but also to help them be comfortable, empowered, and prepared for their performance.  Chynoweth’s work has been featured in print, film, tv, magazines and campaign adds. Visit reelmakeup.com to see galleries for some of the fabulous people and companies they work with.

About Colorado Golf Club (http://www.coloradogolfclub.com)

Opened in 2007, Colorado Golf Club was named the top new private course in America by GOLF Magazine and Sports Illustrated. The club’s 44,000-square-foot clubhouse opened in October. Colorado Golf Club is located just south of Parker, on 1,700 acres of rolling ponderosa pines and open meadows, with dramatic views of the Front Range. Colorado Golf Club will host The 2013 Solheim Cup.

About Jay's Valet (http://www.jaysvalet.com)

Established in Denver Colorado, Jay’s Valet has and continues to provide parking services for many of the premier establishments in Colorado, tens of thousands of celebrations, and numerous special events.

We provide parking services to Park Meadows Mall, Strings Restaurant, City Of Aspen, Maroon Creek Club, Remington Park and Miami Art Museum. In addition to some of our established accounts, we provide unmatched service to an average of 1000 private celebrations, yearly, which converts to parking several hundred thousand cars successfully. The majority of our new business comes from client referrals, word of mouth, and our famous toothpicks.

About Mainstreet Flower Market  (http://www.mainstreetflowermarket.com)

We are Parker’s  Premiere flower shop, receiving Parker’s “Best of the Best” for 7 years running, as well as earning top 5 on Denver’s A-List. We are conveniently located in downtown Parker on East Mainstreet, one block east of Parker Road.  Family owned and operated, since 2004, we provide the Douglas County and South Denver Metro areas with the freshest flowers and plants.  Many of our flowers and plants are grown locally in Colorado and in the USA.  We specializes in all styles and flowers for any occasion;  weddings, corporate services, funerals, sympathy flowers, and many more.  All our arrangements and services, including weddings, funerals and anniversaries, are custom and exclusive, tailored for each customer.  Our designers are experienced, creative and service-oriented so to create the perfect arrangement for your occasion."

About Europtics (http://europtics.net/)

From a small store in the old Cherry Creek Shopping Center in the early 80′s, to four convenient Denver area locations today, Europtics is known far and wide as Colorado’s premier purveyor of quality designer eyeglasses, sunglasses and reading glasses. Eyewear designers from around the world bring their newest styles to Europtics first.

While most other optical stores only stock a handful of lens choices, Europtics knows everyone’s eyes are unique, and we make available over 50 different kinds of lenses to provide the best optics for your individual eyes. Locally owned, Europtics leads the nation in fitting personalized progressive lenses, the newest in free form lens technology. We can have lenses made not just for your prescription, but for your eyes, and only your eyes.

About AEG Live (www.aeglive.com)

AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices and owns, operates or exclusively books thirty-five state-of-the-art venues. 

About Denver Acoustic Christmas: A Concert for Charity

Thursday, December 22, 2011 at the Odgen Theatre.  OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder designs local charity concert with friends Isaac Slade and Joe Kind from The Fray, Matt Morris, Bop Skizzum and members of the Flobots. All proceeds from the show, which is being presented by the OneRepublic Good Life Foundation, will be donated to and split between a trio of local charities, including the Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver Santa Claus Shop and Children’s Hospital.

Arapahoe Landscapes (www.arapahoelandscapes.com)

Arapahoe Landscaping provides the knowledge and history of a company with over 40 years of experience in the landscaping industry. Customers’ trust in us to complete the landscape project they have always dreamed of is our number one goal.  Arapahoe Landscaping specializes in Landscape Design, Construction / Maintenance, Outdoor Lighting, Garden Ponds, Patio and Deck Design, Snow Removal, Specializations, and Commercial Landscaping.