Story and Photos by Christian Romo
Monte Vista Grove Homes, a Presbyterian senior living center in Pasadena, held its seventh annual Founders’ Gala Saturday night at Descanso Gardens in La Caňada. Hosted by NBC 4 weather forecaster and comedy personality Fritz Coleman, the event raised funds for the center’s life engagement program, which supports interactive activities at the Grove’s assisted living facility.
A silent auction began the event with spa days, weekend retreats, sports memorabilia, paintings, and other luxury experiences available for the attendees. Amongst the items up for auction were paintings done by seniors in the assisted living facility, including a finger-painted still life done by a 99-year old resident as part of the facility’s life engagement program.
Serving as master of ceremonies, Coleman began the dinner with a standup routine observing the complexities of aging that received warm applause from the crowd. He then led a live auction of a six-day South African safari trip and a fundraising lightning round that raised over $15,000 for the Grove in a little under five minutes.
At the end of the night, the Grove recognized four partners with their 2017 Spirit Award: Robert Koch, a lead donor and sponsor for the gala; the Convalescent Aid Society, a group that lends medical equipment to senior centers across the San Gabriel Valley; House of Rest, a lodging service for Presbyterian missionaries; and Synod of Southern California and Hawaii, a governing body overseeing seven local Presbyteries.
Founded in 1924, the Grove houses and aids seniors who have served in the Presbyterian Church locally and internationally. Their memory care facility, which broke ground earlier this year, aims to serve patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia and will be open to the public this December.
