Staff Report
The Buellton Senior Center/Santa Ynez Valley Senior Citizen Foundation will host the inaugural Home for the Holidays Tour and Cocktail Reception on Sat. Dec, 14, at the Elverhøj Museum in Solvang to raise funds to provide nutritional, recreational, and transportation resources to the senior citizens and other members of the Santa Ynez Valley. The 12 – 4 p.m. home tour will feature four beautiful homes in Solvang, Ballard, and Los Olivos followed by the festive cocktail reception from 4:00 to 6:00pm boasting holiday-themed drinks, beer, wine, live music and appetizers.
Guests will be treated to breathtaking views of the Santa Ynez Valley while enjoying the holiday decorations. Homes on the tour include Pat and Monty Roberts’ Flag Is Up Farms; Hidden Hills designed by architect, Angelo Caciola, designed to become one with its site and to take full advantage of the panoramic views across the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley; the Saarloos Family Windmill Ranch and Vineyard overlooking Ballard Canyon in Los Olivos; and the Serritslevs’ most festively decorated charming Ballard home.
The Santa Ynez Valley Senior Citizen Foundation’s mission is to advocate and promote the wellbeing of valley-wide seniors, especially those who are financially at risk, and vision is to end senior hunger in the Santa Ynez Valley. Proceeds from the event will support the Meals on Wheels program, weekly Free Produce Bags, transportation to medical appointments, and Dial-A-Ride bus tickets for seniors throughout the valley.
According to Executive Director, Pam Gnekow, the event is a key part of the Foundation’s overall fundraising efforts as the need for expanding programs and services is growing rapidly. “In 2018, we prepared and served 302,000 pounds of food, 7,296 bags of groceries, and 45,003 meals to 841 unduplicated people, and served over 1,600 unduplicated clients in all of our programs,” says Gnekow.
Tickets can be purchased online at buelltonseniorcenter.org, by check (mail to SYVSCF, P.O. Box 1946, Buellton, CA 93427), and at the Buellton Senior Center. Tickets are $55 and include the home tour (12-4pm) and cocktail reception (4-6pm). For more information about event details and to learn more about programs and services, please visit https://buelltonseniorcenter.org. If you have additional questions, please call 805-708-4211 or email director@buelltonseniorcenter.org.
