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WEEK OF NOVEMBER 14, 2024
VOLUME 97 | ISSUE 50
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Church reopens sanctuary after last year’s fire Movember
mustaches bring awareness to men’s mental, physical health BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
structed in 1955, although O’Kegley said the main worship center was completed in the 1960s and the campus was built in “chunks.” The property has a little more than 26,000 square feet of building space. O’Kegley said the architecture of the worship center was inspired by the story of Noah’s Ark, which can be seen in the curvature of the tall wooden ceiling in the form of the hull of a giant ship. Delays due to waiting for the insurance check to come and winter weather set the church back several months from reopening the worship center. But once everything was ready, the church was able to not only make the area functioning again but also to build an addition to the stage and get rid of some excess closet space.
It could be a normal mustache, a handlebar, pencil or horseshoe. Whatever the style, many men take part in growing a mustache for the monthlong campaign, Movember, as a symbol representing the importance of men’s health and reducing the stigma of seeking help. “In many ways, men represent an underserved minority in plain sight,” said Dr. Jeff Morrison, a physician at Highlands Ranch UCHealth Hospital. “That’s why I’m so passionate about Movember and drawing awareness to men’s health.” Morrison is a men’s health specialist and urologist at UCHealth. For years, he has helped men become more comfortable with seeking medical help, and has been an advocate for Movember. Two campaigns in November raise awareness for men’s health – No Shave November and Movember — but they are different. No Shave November encourages participants to raise money to be donated toward a charity of their choice. Movember is an organization that focuses on funding projects that are centered around men’s health and suicide prevention. Men can often be reluctant to seek medical care, especially preventative care, said Morrison. “I think we all know many men in our lives who just don’t go to the doctor,” he added. Having been guilty of it himself at times, Morrison believes there are several reasons why a lot of men don’t go to the doctor. It might be because of their busy work and family schedules or simply procrastination, he said. But it might also be that they don’t know who to go to when a problem arises. Morrision said he sees barriers for men to get into the healthcare system. However, it is crucial for men — especially those who are age 40 and up — to stay on top of their health by having routine wellness appointments and screenings, Morrison said.
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Barbara Dillavou speaks with fellow church attendees Oct. 20 at Grace United Methodist Church in the University Hills neighborhood. BY ERIC HEINZ ERIC@COTLN.ORG
Barbara Dillavou has been coming to the Grace United Methodist Church in the University Hills neighborhood since the 1960s, or, to put in her words, “forever.” Her place of worship was heavily damaged by a fire in May 2023 when the outside brush was set ablaze, damaging the roof and sending a destructive amount of smoke into the main hall. “It damaged almost everything in here,” Dillavou said. “They had to replace, clean all the pews and the books and everything. It was a big job, and so then they just decided at the same time to make some other improvements.” Services were held in the fellowship hall until the repairs could be made. Since reopening in mid-October
of this year, Dillavou said it’s been “marvelous, very good to be back.” “It was a real celebration,” she said. The church, located at 4905 E. Yale Ave., is colloquially known as “the pumpkin church” in the neighborhood, as it hosts a large pumpkin patch each fall before Halloween. Rev. Seth O’Kegley, who has overseen the church since July 2022, said some of the repairs included replacing ceiling panels (that was because someone had thrown a cinder block through it during repairs) as well as removing the pews after smoke had billowed in from the outside. The total cost of repairs was about $600,000, O’Kegley said, which was partially covered by the church’s insurance. Other funding came from the church’s endowment account.
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“We had a row of bushes on the side, and I’m not sure if someone was warming themselves, I don’t know, not my place to judge, but someone caught the bushes on fire and it spread and caught the roof on fire,” O’Kegley said. “Although we did not have fire in the room, the smoke had ruined everything.” The reverend said the carpet had to be replaced and the pews and the interior had to be deep-cleaned. Large beams also had to be replaced. “What we had to do was take half of the roof off, fly new beams in and put the roof back on,” he said. “The damage was pretty intense for not even having fire in the room. It was kind of the perfect storm of circumstances.” According to city of Denver documents, Grace United Methodist Church was con-
PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ
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