Leftist Lovelies Sarandon and Obama

Coloradoan

A variety of actresses, Obama administration officials and members of Congress will join first lady Michelle Obama for a series of mentoring activities in Denver Monday.

Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Fort Collins, will be among those participating. She and actress Tracee Ellis Ross, star of the UPN/CW series "Girlfriends," will participate in a luncheon with Obama and then go Denver West High School to meet with girls there.

The activity kicks off with a noon luncheon at the Governors Mansion, which will be attended by the mentors and a number of Denver-area girls. The mentors will then fan out to high schools across the Denver area.

Obama began the mentoring program earlier this year in the Washington area and said she planned to take it to cities across the country. Denver is the first stop in that effort.

Among those scheduled to participate Monday:

> Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Council of Economic Advisors Chair Christina Romer, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

> Actresses Ross, Susan Sarandon, Alfre Woodard, Fran Drescher and Karen Olivo.

> Markey and Rep. Diana Degette, D-Denver.

> Colorado first lady Jeanne Ritter; Helen Thorpe, a freelance writer and wife of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; Susan Daggett, an environmental consultant and wife of Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and Maggie Fox, CEO of The Alliance for Climate Protection and wife of Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.