A night of dancing, dining and recognition
June 4, 2005
Daily Pilot
Aviva Goelman
I have previously mentioned Albert Dixon, a beloved senior and spirited volunteer, who left a generous bequest to the Senior Center in his will. Most of the sum is invested, but a portion of his endowment benefits the center's regular activities.
This year, our volunteer recognition party was held in memory of Dixon. The following is a letter sent by one of our board members, Charlene M. Ashendorf, who attended this beautiful event.
"Neither paparazzi nor press came out that night. The room was visibly absent of the O.C. high profile types or local personalities. But it was a night filled with stars; 120 very important people to be sure! There were no limousines or town cars lining the curb, but the night's guests arrived by Senior Center bus, cars or with friends. They marched up the red carpet holding canes or walkers or rode in wheelchairs. Friday, April 29th, the Costa Mesa Senior Center honored the men and women who serve tirelessly without pay or notoriety. They were the Retired Senior Volunteers.
"As Program Director Darryl Kim announced the 10 inductees to the Costa Mesa Senior Center Volunteer Hall of Fame, the crowd cheered with overwhelming support for service that totaled thousands of hours of dedication from their peers. One of the highlights of the evening occurred when Louise Kanold received the Albert Dixon Lifetime Achievement Award. Surprised and overcome with disbelief, 84-year-old Louise shared that earlier that day, she had volunteered at an Alzheimer care unit by playing her ukulele to cheer up some "old" folks!
"Ms. Kanold, who has tirelessly volunteered at the Costa Mesa Senior Center since its inception 13 years ago, exemplifies the Albert Dixon Lifetime Achievement Award. This special award is made possible as a result of a large endowment left to the Center when Albert Dixon passed away just a little more than three years ago. Mr. Dixon's larger than life legacy included his daily, dutiful, generous volunteering for more than a decade! As Louise Kanold accepted this prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, she graciously acknowledged that she was standing in the light of many bright, shining stars!
"The Costa Mesa Senior Center boasts of a great number of volunteer hours donated, more than 34,000, and certainly they are the finest in the county! Volunteer roles include answering phones, teaching classes, running the gift shop, working in the kitchen, serving lunches and even picking up donated bread. Social services and socialization are all just part of what makes this center successful. With more than 1,800 members, this truly is the heart of Costa Mesa.
"This year's event was an event not to be missed. Complete with linens, china, regal and rublite rose calla lilies; and baked salmon, followed by a fresh fruit tart for dessert; the senior volunteers were treated like royalty. While the Orange County couple Moon and Ivy Rose Radisay danced the night away to the sounds of the Jumpin' Joz, 99-year-old Genevera Gustasson sang along with the lead singer as they belted out a Patsy Kline favorite, 'Crazy.'
"According to the Independent Sector, a national leadership and research forum, the 2004 estimate for the value of a volunteer hour reached $17.55 per hour. Simply put, there is just no number that can adequately capture the true value volunteers bring to the Costa Mesa Senior Center. They are worth millions!"
Volunteers are the gems of any service organization. Their contributions are a priceless legacy and we treasure them. For more information about volunteering at the Costa Mesa Senior Center or contributing an endowment to it or its programs, please contact Aviva Goelman at (949) 645-2356.
* AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior Center and will write occasional columns about the center, its members and senior issues.