Orcutt is waiting for something big to happen.
No, it’s more than big. It’s huge. How huge? you ask. How about 15,900 square feet?
That is the projected size of the new Luis Oasis Senior Center that is planned for a super-convenient location on West Clark Avenue near the Orcutt Expressway.
The Oasis Center is all atwitter gearing up for the construction of its new home. The goal is to have the necessary funds raised by the end of 2018.
To help raise funds, Oasis held its eighth annual Spring Gala on Friday evening, March 24, at the Radisson in Santa Maria.
What an outstanding turnout. There were more than 200 Oasis supporters milling about the lobby and dining room of the hotel. “A lot more people than last year,” said the clearly pleased Executive Director Doug Dougherty. The energy and enthusiasm of the crowd was palpable.
The program was as expected: No-host cocktail hour (lots of schmoozing), Oasis ukulele band (a crowd pleaser), silent auction (lots of bidding), dinner (lots of conversational buzz), and live auction (lots of action). Summation: lots of fun.
My heart went pitty-pat when I saw that several of the silent auction items featured gift cards to places like Costco and local restaurants. Nothing says “bid on me” like a gift card.
Now when you see the word “gala,” you might ask yourself: What do people wear to an Oasis gala?
The answer is anything they want—ties, no ties, casual, or semi-formal. In other words, you get to pick your clothing comfort zone
Among the attendees was Steve LeBard, whose family donated the 5-plus acres for the building.
City Council members at the event were Dr. Michael Moats (with his wife Susan) and Etta Waterfield.
Emcee and County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino delivered a lot of laughs while assisting auctioneer Jim Glines. It is worth noting that the cake and cookie auction brought in big bucks. Darrell Freeman donated a cheesecake that he made himself. Of course, there were other items like trips and barbecues up for grabs too.
Others in the crowd included former County Supervisor Joni Gray, Jerry and Dolores Luis, Pam and George Risher, Dottie Lyons, John and Karen Ransome, and Keith and Olivia Bugal.
It has been a while since I have run into Prudence Noon and her sister Francine Woods. These ladies, along with John Noon, are known to be ardent bidders.
I didn’t get a chance to chat with Kathy Hayes, director of development. That girl was busy!
Don Ward, Laurie Tamura, Sue Sword, Michelle Shipman, and Bob Frias were other familiar faces in the crowd.
The Oasis Center offers a full schedule of activities. There are classes (like Chinese—how about them apples?), exercise opportunities (tai chi, gentle yoga), and the occasional trip to, maybe, an LA Dodgers game.
Lunch is available, and there is the monthly pancake breakfast. Really, a person just can’t be bored if they are Oasis visitors.
The new center will feature a super duper kitchen, barbeque area, meeting rooms, library, computer lab (I like that!), and facilities for weddings, family gatherings, and community functions—indoors and out. Doesn’t it sound exciting and enticing?
“The new senior center will not only be a meeting place for seniors but for all of Santa Maria Valley,” Dougherty said.
We can’t wait.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Apr 13-20, 2017.