50 years of FUN

One word that crops up again and again in regard to the Senior Center is fun. Yes, we take our vital mission very seriously, but one of the most effective ways to fulfill it is to ensure that everyone has a good time. And what’s more fun than a birthday party … or two … or three?

The mission was to celebrate 50 years of service to the com- munity and raise funds to support the next 50 and, despite being postponed due to snow, “Martinis, Bikinis & Lamborghinis: An Evening of 007 Heaven” was a spectacular success. Urbane men and elegantly-dressed women came out for a bang- up evening of James Bond-themed fun with cocktails, dinner, dancing, and more. Generous sponsors, enthusiastic guests, a dedicated steering committee, and scores of volunteers cre- ated a memorable party, and the event netted over $48,000 in support of the Senior Center and its programs.

Our birthday luncheon—also postponed due to snow!—honored the work members and friends have done over the course of five decades to make the Center the very special place it is. Speakers included two of our “Founding Mothers” from the University League, Jean Wilhelm and Betz Gleason (Betz also served as executive director and board president). Lunch provided the perfect occasion for the premiere of our new video, an entertaining and informative look at the Center that you can check out on our website (seniorcenterinc.org) or on YouTube.

On February 14, our actual birthday, members and guests gathered at the Center to enjoy a potluck lunch and kick up their heels to the sounds of our very own Flashbacks, a band of about 20 members who swing with music from the ’20s through the ‘60s. On this occasion, Mother Nature saw fit to hold off on the snow—funny, since Charlottesville was hit with a huge winter storm on Valentine’s Day in 1960, the Center’s opening day.

It wasn’t snow but a volcano that postponed the planned birthday cruise down the Rhine River in April. Undeterred, intrepid Travel Coordinator Linda Hahn quickly regrouped, pulling together a fabulous trip to Tuscany for members and guests in June that demonstrated perfectly how travel meets our mission. Traveling with a sense of security and camaraderie, knowing a fellow traveler is always ready to lend a hand, enables people who might other- wise stay home to experience the joys and stimulation of travel.

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