2026 Women United Luncheon

About This Event

For 27 years, Mile High United Way has brought the community together to celebrate the power of women and girls at the Women United Luncheon. The event highlights the timeless values of kindness, humility, courage, and integrity, and focuses on making a lasting difference in the community by supporting women and girls. The 2026 Women United Luncheon features Academy Award-winner Mary Steenburgen as the keynote speaker. Throughout her extraordinary career and generous philanthropy, she has embodied these timeless values. Proceeds from the luncheon support Mile High United Way’s Women United Initiative, which connects women to critical resources including safe and stable housing, new job opportunities, quality early child care, and additional wraparound supports. ABOUT MARY STEENBURGEN: For nearly five decades, Academy Award and Golden Globe winning actress Mary Steenburgen has delighted audiences with her timeless portrayals of humorous, emotionally complex and relatable characters. She is best known for her work in “Melvin and Howard” (for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar), “Stepbrothers,” “Elf,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” and television shows including “The Last Man on Earth,” “Justified,” “Orange is the New Black,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Mary currently stars in the Netflix comedy, “A Man on the Inside.” In addition to a prolific film and television career, Mary is an award-winning songwriter for Universal Music Publishing Group and has worked with artists such as Tim McGraw, Kate York, and Caitlyn Smith. In 2020, she partnered with York and Smith to write “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” for the film Wild Rose. The song received a Critics’ Choice Award along with other accolades and nominations. Mary’s philanthropic efforts include supporting the THEA Foundation, Oceana and Pathway to Kinship, among others. Together with her husband, Ted Danson, she cofounded Angels at Risk, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit which provides resources for families affected by drug and alcohol abuse. The couple received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2025 Emmy Awards for their extraordinary activism and philanthropic efforts. WOMEN UNITED INITIATIVE: Proceeds from the Women United Luncheon support Mile High United Way’s Women United Initiative, which connects women to critical resources like safe and stable housing, new job opportunities, quality early child care and more. An Impact Report is available detailing outcomes and community impact.

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