Courtesy Photo Annie Hepburn, director of the Alpena Senior Citizens Center, at right, recently sold a ticket to Karyl Horowitz for the upcoming fundraiser, Denim and Diamonds. Additional tickets are available at the senior center. The event will be held Jan. 20.

Courtesy Photo
Annie Hepburn, director of the Alpena Senior Citizens Center, at right, recently sold a ticket to Karyl Horowitz for the upcoming fundraiser, Denim and Diamonds. Additional tickets are available at the senior center. The event will be held Jan. 20.

Called Denim and Diamonds, the event will feature a catered meal, music by Wayne Kendziorski and the Kopy Katz as well as other opportunities to support the senior center through Chinese raffles and a 50/50 drawing.

The event will be held Jan. 20 at the Knights of Columbus Hall with doors opening at 5 p.m. and dinner served at 6 p.m. Music is planned from 7-10 p.m.

“This is basically a general fundraiser for all our programs and services,” said Director Annie Hepburn. “It is a way to involve the whole community to help support our seniors in Alpena County.”

Tickets are $30 and available in advance the senior center.

Looking back at 2017, Hepburn said the facility saw an increase in programs and services. Meals alone reached a total of 83,886 served last year for a monthly average of 5,610 meals provided through the Meals on Wheels program and another 1,380 congregate meals served on site.

“It was a good year for us,” Hepburn said. “Our grants came through for us. We do continue to pursue and look at new grants. Our numbers have gone up in all of our programs.”

While she doesn’t anticipate any cuts to current 2018 funding that would negatively impact programming, the additional funds raised at the Denim and Diamonds fundraiser would help to cover the cost of a few new programs and services the senior center would like to offer this year.

“We want to promote or start promoting supports groups for early onset dementia as well as kinship support groups for grandparents or relatives raising grandchildren,” Hepburn said. “Any new programs would cost some money so the extra funds we receive through the fundraiser will help offset things. We are noticing that there are needs that we feel are unmet and so we are looking at maybe helping to meet those needs.”

She also said that grants awarded to the senior center are usually pretty specific as to what they can be used for, so any extra funds raised will come in handy. She advises people to get their Denim and Diamonds tickets early as she is expecting a good turnout.

“Our community always helps us. We have good support from our seniors as well,” Hepburn said.

Anyone with items to donate to the Chinese raffle should contact the senior center. For more information about the upcoming event or donating, call 356-3585.