There are three words that defined the way Alex Teves lived his life.
“Family, friends and community,” said Teves’ mom Caren. “That’s what Alex was all about.”
Those three tenets were on full display at the 3rd annual “A Night to Remember” event on July 20 at Four Mile Historic Park in Denver. Over 20 breweries, four food trucks and a silent auction were held at the combination beer festival, fundraiser and memorial to celebrate the life of Teves and the 11 other victims killed in the shooting at the Century Aurora 16 Theater on July 20, 2012.
Hundreds poured into the park to show their support for the victim’s families and friends.
“Things like today put that layer on it that allow us to smile,” Caren said of the festival. “There’s such a sense of community, and that’s really the essence of Alex.”
For the past three years, Kristen Kozik and Jeremy Gobien, owners of Copper Kettle Brewing
Company, have organized the event to help foster that sense of community and as a tribute to one of their first customers and his family.
Teves and his girlfriend frequented the Copper Kettle and were regulars at the brewery shortly after it opened in 2011. The couple quickly formed a friendship with Kozik and Gobien after stopping on slow nights as the business found its legs.
“A lot of times it was just the four of us, so we really got to know each other well,” Kozik said.
The group would often chat over a hoppy hefeweizen, Teves’ favorite beer, which Kozik and Gobien brewed again specifically for the festival.
Teves was such a fan of the brewery he eventually became a member of their Brew Club, an honor that earned him a permanent stein at the pub and a photo of himself on the wall. A silhouette of the image has also become the logo for the Alexander C. Teves ACT Foundation, a non-profit founded in Teves’ honor. All proceeds from ticket and silent auction sales were donated to the foundation that provides funding and scholarships to students with unique educational needs at Humanex Academy, an alternative school in Englewood where Teves was an intern.
“Alex was an exceptionally different kind of person,” said Brenda Newton, director of admissions at Humanex. “He had a really awesome memory for what made you tick or what you were about, which the kids loved.”
The money raised at A Night To Remember will go directly to funding scholarships for students who would otherwise be unable to attend the private school. Humanex recently named Caren as an honorary member of the board for scholarships.
“We’re glad that she’s able to know exactly who the Foundation is helping and for her to be able to have a say in the process,” said Newton.
While final numbers have not yet been calculated, an anonymous $5,000 donation has already helped to surpass the
festival’s goal.