The 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center offered guests a chance to leave Santa Clarita behind and travel to “Cities Around the World.”

Left to right, Jayne and Chris Fall and Dianne and Wayne Crawford came dressed (with masks) to the 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner representing notable SCV residents, Jenny and Ken Striplin, Diana Vose and Harold Petersen. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

The theme of the annual event found attendees dressing in costumes reflecting the lifestyles of Las Vegas, Mexico City, New Orleans, Dodge City, London and San Francisco.

The fanciful event also found guests dressed as aliens in Roswell, New Mexico, Kentucky Derby attendees in Louisville, Kentucky, garden party ladies in Manchester, England (The Dorothy Parker Chapter of the Manchester, England Horticulture Society) and residents of Gotham City and Oz.

Other cities represented included Athens, Greece, Boston, Budapest, Hungary, Chicago, Copenhagen, Denmark, Honolulu, Monte Carlo, Monaco and Tortuga, Haiti.

Wayne Crawford’s table had more of a “down home” theme using masks to impersonate the famous denizens of Santa Clarita: Don and Cheri Fleming, Diana Vose, Ken and Jenny Striplin, Howard Petersen, Marsha McLean and Marlee Lauffer.

Mitch and Meredith Katz of the Elks Club-themed table Roswell, New Mexico at the 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

“We thought of the idea during a long car ride between Santa Clarita and Las Vegas,” said Dianne Crawford.

Tables were elaborately decorated for the event featuring decor to characterize the city represented.

The Elks captured the top prize for table decoration with their alien-inspired Roswell, New Mexico-themed table. Second place was awarded to Manchester, England, with a third prize tie to Las Vegas and Chicago.

 Celebrity Waiters

“Celebrity” waiters collected “tips” of script purchased by guests to benefit the SCV Senior Center as part of the fundraising effort at the event. They “sold” silverware to their guests, took drink orders and performed special requests in a competition to be the top earning “waiter.”

Celebrity Waiters dance to the band The Sound Waves at the 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner to benefit the SCV Senior Center. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

The celebrity waiters were introduced to the guests during a lively dance number choreographed by Kathy Lively.

Winning this year’s top waiter award was Michel Delcros who worked the Poole and Shaffery table collecting $5,500 in script sales.

In addition to Delcros celebrity waiters at this year’s event included: Sue Reynolds, Tracy Hauser, Marsha McLean, TimBen Boydston, Laura Kirchhoff, Michael Hogan, Dante Acosta, Linda Davies, Yolie Haramia, Alan Ferdman, Alienore Conrad, Danise Davis, Patrice and Ken Riftkind, Miriam Robles, Julie Olsen, Jim Waller, Lloyd Hauser, Robin Clough and Gene Dorio, Linda Pederson, Judy Penmen, Matt Denny, Laurie Keller, Anna Riggs, Stellina Parco, Matt Denny and Chuck Strong.

Committee

Left to right, Don and Cheri Fleming with Don and Cheri Fleming impersonators Eric and Jacqueline Stroh. The Wayne Crawford table represented “The City of Santa Clarita” with guests dressed like Santa Clarita notables. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

Co-chairs of the 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner were Greg Nutter and Tracy Hauser.

The event attracted more than 250 guests to the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Valencia on Feb. 21.

“The Celebrity Waiter Dinner is the biggest fundraiser for the SCV Senior Center,” said Hauser. “Everyone who attends supports seniors with their hearts and their dollars. They are supporting the Home Delivered Meals program and efforts to keep seniors comfortable in their own homes for as long as they choose to live there, as well as helping families of seniors.”

Members of the Celebrity Waiter Dinner Committee included: Barbara Cochran, Bill Lively, Bob Wagstrom, Chris Ball, Chuck Morris, Doug Wertz, Geneva Knoles, Grace Elliott, Jack Elliott, Jackie McKnelly, Judy Penman, Lauren Lefkowitz-Greber, Lisa Burke, Marsha McLean, Mary Jane Hartman, Michel Delcros, Miriam Robles, Pat Willett, Peggy Rasmussen and Rick Ferrante.

Bill Lively served as emcee of the evening with the band, The Sound Waves, keeping the audience on the dance floor for much of the evening.

 Auction

The event included a live and silent auction. The live auction included: A seven-day Princess cruise for two to the

Celebrity Waiters Alan Ferdman and Marsha McLean on the dance floor at the 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

Caribbean or Mexico; an original “log” boat from Six Flags Magic Mountain’s historic Log Jammer ride and an original Eagle’s Nest sky car; a week in a Maui beach house for 10; a barbecue party at the Sand Canyon home of Santa Clarita Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar, lunch with U.S. Congressman Steve Knight, State Assemblyman Scott Wilk or Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean; an antique corner cast iron wood-burning stove and a day of sailing on a Trimaran. Jeff Johnson served as auctioneer.

Table Sponsors

Platinum: Princess Cruises; Gold: Poole and Shaffery, Southern California Edison, Oakmont Senior Living; Silver: City of Santa Clarita, Stay Green Landscaping, Summerhill Villa/Comfort Keepers; Bronze: Manchester (England) Horticultural Society, Chiquita Canyon, Wayne Crawford, Erica Betz-Cloyd/Owen Patterson & Owen, Chiquita Canyon, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, L/B/W Insurance, Newhall Land, Visiting Angels, M.A.P.S. Aging Network; Media Sponsors: KHTS Radio, The Magazine of Santa Clarita, SCVTV and The Signal.

Senior Center

SCV Senior Center Executive Director Rachelle Dardeau and top waiter at the 2015 Celebrity Waiter Dinner, Michel Delcros. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

The SCV Senior Center serves more than 10,000 seniors in the SCV with the Home Delivered Meals program, nutritional services, handy worker services, respite services, supportive services, transportation services and lifelong learning, exercise and recreation programs. The Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging is the umbrella 501 (c) 3 organization that supervises the SCV Senior Center and serves the needs of more than 35,000 seniors in the SCV and other areas of the Fifth Supervisory District in Los Angeles County. The mission of the Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging and Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center is to promote quality of life for seniors.

Peggy Rasmussen, chairwomen of the governing board of the Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging, said fundraisers like the Celebrity Waiter Dinner are an important resource.

“We’re in a growth spurt and we really need the help from this event,” she said. “We have big plans in the works to help SCV seniors.”

For more information about the services and programs of the SCV Senior Center and to make donations to keep these important programs in place call 661-259-9444 for more information or visit scv-seniorcenter.org.