Jeanne Becker

During these warm summer months, the Greater Sun Lakes Community Foundation has been planning this year’s Winter Wonderland Gala. This year’s event coordinators Jan Hawkes, Jeanne Duncan, Jade Neff, and Karen McGowan are organizing a glamorous and elegant semi-formal dinner dance featuring a sit-down “Surf & Turf” dinner (petite filet and jumbo shrimp) with a cash bar, plus live music and dancing by Rhythm Edition. This is our biggest fundraiser of the season, and as in past events, we are featuring a fabulous array of classy raffle baskets and unique silent auction items, along with our “Crystal Donation Bowl,” to raise funds to support our mission, which is “to enhance the quality of life for residents in the Greater Sun Lakes area in the areas of health, education, and culture.”

This year’s Holiday Fundraising Gala will be held on Sunday, Dec. 3, in the San Tan Ballroom in Cottonwood Country Club. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the raffle, silent auction, and a cash bar available. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., and music with Rhythm Edition starts at 7 p.m. The $60 per person ticket price includes tax and tip, and tickets are now available at our website, slcommunityfoundation.com.

The Foundation’s purpose is to be a vehicle for charitable giving in the Greater Sun Lakes area. Since our inception in 2015, the Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 in grants and donations to multiple organizations that serve the older population in the East Valley. Examples of the many organizations that have received funding include the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority (AFMA) for the Sun Lakes firefighters’ food fund; Neighbors Who Care to support the purchase of their new van, as well as many other programs; The Perfect Place, which provides adult daycare and family-support services; The Crystal Card Project, which gives 100% of their sales to help local shelters; the Sun Lakes Community Theatre to fund workers for moving, set-up, and teardown of production sets and bleachers; and Sun Lakes Community Theatre Children’s Productions to support the theatre troupe performing plays in colorful costumes based on the Horton books, which teach first graders about live theatre in 25 Chandler elementary schools each year. Also, we support both the Sun Lakes Posse and the Arizona Rangers in their work protecting our communities.

The Foundation’s ability to award these grants is made possible through the financial generosity of individuals and companies who 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 shows at Cottonwood, are central to the Foundation’s ability to continue our support of organizations serving older residents in our communities. Please contact us for more information about our 501(c)(3) organization on our website, slcommunityfoundation.com.