Glasses were raised and check books poised on April 24th as Christian Living Communities (CLC) hosted its 3rd Annual Aged to Perfection event at their Holly Creek Retirement Community in Centennial. More than 250 people enjoyed tasty culinary creations at hors d'oeuvres stations perfectly paired with wine and beer stations. Fifty-three amazing auction items tempted guests all in an effort to raise funds to help seniors and their families bravely facing memory impairment.
Christian Living Communities also bestowed its 3rd Annual Community Enrichment Award to Mr. Roland Buteyn. This award is given to a senior who gives back to his or her community and embodies the active and involved senior lifestyle. Mr. Buteyn has spent the better part of the last 16 months helping rebuild the community of Gulf Port, Mississippi, both structurally and spiritually after devastating hurricanes ripped through nearly two years ago. In Denver, he helped transform a vacant motel into a transitional family housing shelter now known as Joshua Station, and he has worked and volunteered for Brother's Redevelopment, helping low-income individuals with home repairs. Mr. Buteyn was also a teacher and administrator at Denver Christian High School for 13 years.
More than $23,000 in donations will go to directly to CLC's Memory Support efforts, funding staff education, equipment purchases and programs aimed to better help the memory impaired and support their families. In the United States, someone develops Alzheimer's disease every 72 seconds. In Colorado there are more than 64,000 people living with a diagnosis of the disease, and several thousand more who have not yet received the diagnosis. The Alzheimer's Association reports that Colorado is one of six western states that will double in the number of Alzheimer's cases by 2020. Christian Living Communities (CLC) lovingly cares for seniors living with this cruel disease as well as other forms of dementia, while educating and supporting loved ones.
Joining the cause were Jack Alexander of the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation and his wife Sally; Dr. Gary Vander Ark and his wife Phyllis; former Swedish Hospital CEO Lowell Palmquist and his wife Mona; former Mountain States Employer Council executive Jack Barker and his wife Char; Frank and Sylvia Velzen; Dean and Judy Coddington; Cal and Shirley Van Heukelem; Brother's Redevelopment executive Mary Ann Shing.
Christian Living Communities is a nonprofit provider of senior living communities and services. It is a Colorado company which began in 1972 and owns five senior living communities in the southeast Denvermetro area including Holly Creek, The Johnson Center, The Living Center, The Village and University Hills. It also provides home care services and has two adult day service locations.