Carolyn Leneway

More than 220 people donned their holiday finery in support of The Greater Sun Lakes Community Foundation’s Holiday Gala, the Foundation’s biggest fundraising event of the year. The Gala featured a new look and feel, as the semi-formal Holiday Gala provided attendees an opportunity to dress to the nines, enjoy a marvelous dinner, and dance through the night!

The annual event raised more than $10,000 in support of the Foundation’s mission, which is to enhance the quality of life for residents of the greater Sun Lakes communities in the areas of health, education, and culture. Twenty-one raffle baskets were won by holders of lucky tickets. The baskets were filled with valuable wine, top-shelf liquor, and scrumptious, exotic food items, among many other exciting gifts. Additionally, 19 unique silent auction items were taken by the highest bidders. The array of auction items included a five-night stay in a luxury resort, an original piece of artwork, exquisite private dining for eight including selected wine to accompany a four-course meal, an autographed football from the Arizona Cardinals, a beautiful necklace and matching earrings set, an original handmade quilt, and many other unique items. To round off the evening, attendees were served a delicious surf and turf dinner and danced the night away to the toe-tapping and hip swinging music of Rhythm Edition.

Deemed a fabulous evening by the sellout crowd, plans are already underway for next year’s exciting holiday event scheduled for Dec. 3. The Foundation thanks all who supported this year’s event through sponsorships, raffle basket, and silent auction donations, and especially the Foundation Friends who made donations and gave of their time and talents. If you are interested in helping support The Greater Sun Lakes Community Foundation or want to join the Friends group, please visit www.slcommunityfoundation.org to learn more.