Catherine Warburton’s 80-year-old father and 77-yearold mother had just moved into her Santa Rosa Valley house when the father fell in the kitchen and broke his neck.
Coming off a car accident for which he was treated for six months, Warbuton’s father needed special treatment.
Where’s the story?
“He couldn’t go into a skilled nursing facility without a ‘sitter’ because they didn’t want to just tie him down or heavily medicate him. I didn’t know where to go, then I remembered Senior Concerns,” she said.
She and her husband, actor Patrick Warburton, had donated to the nonprofit organization a few years ago and now things had come full circle. The group was helping her.
“They put me on the right path because they knew all these things. They’ve already researched it . . . they were able to give me names of sitting agencies that have gone through some vetting,” Catherine Warburton said.
In addition to providing resources, the Thousand Oaksbased nonprofit offers educational outreach and educational programs, caregiver support, an adult daycare center, Meals on Wheels and more—all without regard for the ability to pay.
But in order to do that, Senior Concerns has to raise money through private donations and grants. Roughly 70 percent of the organization’s $1.9-million budget comes from grant funding, but it has to come up with the other 30 percent to close the gap.
It’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Ultimate Dining Experience, which will take place Sept. 20 at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza.
The event will have a ’60s theme and will feature music by Beatles tribute band, The Sun Kings. Leading the evening will be emcee Ivor Davis, Venturabased author of “The Beatles and Me,” which chronicles the six weeks he spent with Ringo, George, John and Paul on their first American tour in the summer of 1964.
“We’re going to have some fun. I’m going to tell them some stories about my time with the boys from Liverpool,” Davis said, noting that nobody, even the Beatles themselves, thought they’d be famous 50 years later.
“Ringo said he was going to use his money to open a hair dressing salon,” he said.
Though Davis hasn’t had occasion to take advantage of the services offered by Senior Concerns, he said he’s been aware of how it benefits the community.
“They do a phenomenal job I have some friends whose parents have been helped. I will do whatever I can to help them,” he said.
In addition to the entertainment, the event will showcase dining selections from a number of local restaurants, including The Grill on the Alley, Hyatt Westlake Plaza, Mastro’s, Paul Martin’s American Grill and Westlake Culinary Institute.
Paired with the food will be wines from Aldabella, Cielo and Bottle Rock, Opolo, Stonehaus and more.
Doors open for the event at 5 p.m. for chefs’ samplings, wine tasting and a silent auction. A three-course meal begins at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $210 for one or $395 for two and are available on the Senior Concerns website, www.seniorconcerns.org or by calling (805) 497-0189.
They’re available now, but tickets are almost sold out, according to Janet Young, Senior Concerns director of development.
“We’re grateful. It shows the community really appreciates the work Senior Concerns does,” she said.
