Students, staff and families from Cole Middle School have free tickets to attend the 1:05 p.m. Colorado Rockies game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on Saturday, May 15. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will be part of a brief pre-game ceremony at 12:35 p.m. to recognize the school.

Saturday’s event originated at the beginning of this year’s baseball season when Mayor Hickenlooper bet Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix, Ariz., that the Rockies would win their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The losing mayor would have to pay for baseball tickets for a classroom of students in the other’s city. Mayor Hickenlooper won the bet, which has since expanded to include all students at Cole Middle School thanks to donations from the community and Denver businessman David McReynolds, president of Columbine Health Plan.

Mayor Hickenlooper selected Cole Middle School because of the school’s extraordinary efforts this year to improve their Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) scores, an effort that was aided by more than 150 community volunteers who tutored students for eight straight Saturdays earlier this year.

Attendees at Saturday’s pre-game recognition will include Mayor John Hickenlooper; Cole Middle School principal Nicole Veltzé and four students (Marco and Vanessa Delgado, Roberto Salas and Benjamin Wadsworth); David McReynolds, president of Columbine Health Plan; and Steve Katich, president of the Denver Public Schools Foundation.

      For more information, contact the DPS Public Information Office at 720-423-3414.