The Highlands Mommies are raising babies and raising Cain in northwest Denver

Comments (0) By Melanie Asmar Tuesday, Dec 14 2010

On December 4, about 25 local vendors set up shop in the gym, selling all-natural body scrub, hand-knit winter caps and funky jewelry made out of cut-up credit cards. In the carpeted auditorium, kindergartners and toddlers decorated snowflakes and did yoga.

The main hallway smelled like coffee thanks to the mobile baristas who set up next to the bake sale, while the Valdez PTO sold $10 poinsettias by the front door, and used books and toys — including an entire table full of naked baby dolls — in the cafeteria. In one corner, kids could have their picture taken with Santa, a real-looking one with wire-rimmed glasses and a twisty white mustache.

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Elina Martinez and Laverne Herrera-Hay are the managing directors of the Highlands Mommies.

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The Highlands Business Group includes Angela Tolar, Leanne Silverman, Kimberly Haut and Lauren Wolf.

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Go on a windshield tour of the Highlands with Lauren Wolf and Angela Tolar.

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And from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., hundreds of people — big and small — streamed through the doors. Many of the big people were Highlands Mommies.

The Highlands Business Group also plans to produce products to sell. Its first is the Greater Highlands Local Deal Book, a $20 book of coupons for local businesses that debuted at the Winter Market. The coupon book also has a fundraising component: Schools can sell it and keep $8 of the proceeds.

"We are businesspeople, and we're adamant about fundraising and charitable giving," says Wolf, one of the four partners in the business group. "That passion goes hand in hand with being a Highlands Mommy. It's a big, blurry picture."