Jeanne and Pat Duncan showing off raffle prizes they won at last year’s Gala
Jan Hawkes and Jeanne Becker
Tickets go on sale at our website slcommunityfoundation.com on Friday, Oct. 3, for the Greater Sun Lakes Community Foundation’s annual premier fundraising event, this year called “The Candy Cane Christmas Gala.” Event coordinator Jan Hawkes, with a team of Foundation Friends volunteers, are arranging a glamorous and elegant semi-formal dinner dance to be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, at the San Tan Ballroom in Cottonwood Country Club. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. with a cash bar, basket raffles, and a silent auction featuring many unique, donated prizes. A lovely plated dinner will be served at 6 p.m. featuring chicken cordon bleu with salad, sides, and dessert, followed by live music by the Thaddeus Rose Band, with dancing starting at 7:30 p.m. The $70 per-person ticket price includes tax and tip. Tickets will be available for sale on Oct. 3 at our website slcommunityfoundation.com.
This gala event is our biggest fundraiser of the season and, as always, we are featuring a fabulous array of raffle baskets and silent auction items, along with our voluntary Crystal Donations Bowl, to raise funds to support the mission of the Foundation “to enhance the quality of life for senior residents in the Greater Sun Lakes area in the areas of health, education, and culture.” Since our inception in 2015, the Foundation has awarded almost $200,000 in grants and donations to multiple organizations that serve the older population in the East Valley. Examples of some organizations that have received funding include the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority (AFMA) for the firefighters food fund in Stations 231 and 232; Neighbors Who Care to support the purchase of their new van, as well as many of their other programs; The Crystal Card Project, which gives 100% of their sales to help local shelters; Sun Lakes Community Theatre to help purchase a state-of-the-art lighting system; Sun Lakes Community Theatre’s Children’s Theatre to support the theater troupe performing plays that are structured to teach young children about live theater in 25 to 30 Chandler elementary schools each year; Sun Lakes Citrus Pickers who picked over 100 tons of citrus to donate to local food banks; the Sun Lakes Posse and the Arizona Rangers, and many more local organizations.
The Foundation’s ability to award these grants is made possible through the financial generosity of individuals and companies that wish to enhance the quality of life for residents of Sun Lakes. The support by our friends and neighbors at events like the Holiday Gala and the spring Hoedown, as well as the raffle tickets purchased at TAD musical events at Cottonwood Country Club, are central to the Foundation’s continued support of organizations serving older residents in our communities as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. More information about us is on our website slcommunityfoundation.com.