Rocky Mountain PBS and the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame
Premieres Season 2 of Great Colorado Women
Historic, Multi-Episode Series Begins in Late-February
The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (CWHF) and Rocky Mountain PBS will debut Season Two of a broadcast series focusing on historic and contemporary Colorado women and their little-known, under-reported achievements. The five-episode series, Great Colorado Women, premiers on Thursday, February 28, 2019, and is produced by the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (CWHF) Season Two is part of what is a multi-season series. These stories provide role models to remind women and girls; men and boys, so they can aspire higher to reach their dreams.
The Season Two premier airs statewide on Thursday, February 28 at 8:30pm MT on Rocky Mountain PBS.
The first episode features the story of Helen Bonfils: “Miss Helen: Bringing Culture to A Cow Town.” Bonfils was known affectionately as “Miss Helen” and also as “Poor Little Rich Girl.” She was one of Colorado’s most generous philanthropists and the leader of a cultural revolution.
The series resumes later in March as follows:
● Thursday 3/21 8:30-9:00pm Arlene Hirschfeld: “Denver’s Spirit of Volunteerism”
● Thursday 3/28 8:30-9:00pm Gudy Gaskill: “Blazing the Colorado Trail”
● Thursday 4/4 8:30-9:00pm Doreen Pollack: “Giving Silence a Voice”
● Thursday 4/11 8:30-9:00pm Mildred “Babe” Zaharias: “The Greatest Athlete”
“So many women in the Hall are unsung heroes, hidden figures who have endured with superlative strength, beauty and love. They deserve absolute respect and acknowledgment,” says Betty Heid, CWHF’s executive producer of the series. “They are shining examples of the potential of all women. Their accomplishments are worthy of being emulated and have shaped history and transformed lives.” Each episode of Great Colorado Women meets Colorado Academic Standards for K-12 and can easily be integrated into classroom studies through PBS LearningMedia that schools can consider using in their curricula to teach students about women’s history.
Julie Speer Jackson, Vice President of Culture Content at Rocky Mountain PBS says, “This series, in its second year airing on Rocky Mountain PBS, is really an eye-opener to the impact women have had on our state, our country, and our world. We think it will have broad audience appeal for Colorado citizens including the general public, historians, elementary through high school students, and college students. We want to help others to know about those who have gone before us, and in doing so, we believe the
stories about the women in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame will inspire women to play a bigger role in shaping Colorado’s history,” she added.
History has shown that when women get involved, great things can happen. “A better world happens when women’s contributions are encouraged and recognized,” Heid emphasizes. “Women have been overlooked in history and in the media. The amazing stories of women’s success, leadership, vision, and accomplishments have not been told.”
Great Colorado Women draws on the historic, scientific, cultural, public policy, education, agriculture, healthcare, and social justice accomplishments of the current 162 women in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.
Enchanted Road Productions, along with Heid, produces these programs that will sustain the series for multiple seasons. Rocky Mountain PBS is actively seeking underwriting to support this programming. CWHF is working on community and corporate sponsorships to support production. Both the CWHF and RMPBS believe that individuals, businesses, and organizations can garner great benefit from sponsoring and sending a strong message that women and their contributions matter. A special invitation-only preview screening event will be held in late February, hosted and sponsored by Balfour Senior Living at its Riverfront Park location in lower downtown Denver. Balfour communities are
highly regarded for their comfortable elegance and for the individualized quality of life. But it’s their dedication to service, innovation, and respect that truly define The Balfour Way.
