By STEPHANIE FORTH

stephanie.forth@leaderpub.com

The Cass County COA will be hosting a 1950s-themed dinner on Aug. 19 to raise money for the area’s Meals on Wheels program.

The COA has been hosting a dinner for the Meals on Wheels program for numerous years and serves as the only fundraiser for the program each year.

This year’s fundraiser is titled “Cruzin for Meals on Wheels” and will take place in the center’s dining room.

Meals on Wheels is a national non-profit organization that provides nutritious meals to in-need senior citizens. The program operates in almost every community nationwide and is made possible by the efforts of local organizations like the COA.

“The reason we did the ‘Cruzin for Meals on Wheels’ theme is because Meals on Wheels originally started in the United States in Philadelphia in 1954, and it was the first time it was introduced in America,” said Heather Carter, community development team leader for the COA and this year’s head coordinator for the fundraiser.

The cost of entry to the event will be $40 per person. Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and end at 9 p.m. Carter said that during that time guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a beef stew dinner with mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, salad, pineapple upside-down cake and root beer floats. A roasted portabella mushroom will be available as a vegetarian substitute for the beef stew and there will also be diabetic-friendly options. 

Additionally, there will be a black-and-white checkered dance floor for attendees to mingle and network on while a live band performs songs from the ‘50s era.

The annual fundraiser has a different theme each year. Last year, the event was Olympic themed and a previous year it was Halloween themed.

“There are 50 people currently registered to attend the event and there are 10 tables set up,” Carter said. She is hopeful that this year’s fundraiser will exceed last year’s table count of 14, which 106 people attended.

Cruzin for Meals on Wheels has already received a $10,000 sponsorship grant from the McLoughlin Family Foundation.

“It’s a matching sponsorship, so I have to raise another $10,000, at least, to match it,” Carter said. “Our last few years we’ve raised a total of $30,000, which basically helps with an average of 30 people [those receiving assistance from Meals on Wheels]…so we’re looking at $1,000 per person for an entire year’s worth of food.”

“Part of having a ‘50s themed dinner is to help bring back people’s memories. It makes them think of when it was an easier, simpler life. I think that my favorite part of the evening is getting to listen to people’s stories,” Carter said.