{"id":28758,"date":"2017-05-30T12:27:09","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T12:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/?p=28758"},"modified":"2017-05-30T12:27:09","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T12:27:09","slug":"event-wise-and-healthy-agings-celebration-of-caring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/event-wise-and-healthy-agings-celebration-of-caring\/","title":{"rendered":"EVENT: WISE AND HEALTHY AGING\u2019S CELEBRATION OF CARING"},"content":{"rendered":"

WISE AND HEALTHY AGING\u2019S CELEBRATION OF CARING<\/h1>\n
\"Karen<\/a>

Karen Salkin (for whom the hour was a tad early) and Fred Deni. Photo by Mr. X.<\/p><\/div>\n

Mr. X and I were happy to attend this recent charity brunch to honor one the kindest people I know, our my great friend, Fred Deni, the owner of Santa Monica cafes Back on Broadway and Back On The Beach.\u00a0 We\u2019re always so proud of Fred, for everything he does, actually, but that day, especially, for being honored like this! (More on him in a minute.\u00a0\u00a0Much<\/em>\u00a0more!)<\/p>\n

The occasion was\u00a0Wise and Healthy Aging\u2019s\u00a0Celebration of Caring, in which the organization honored several of the community\u2019s most kind-hearted citizens.\u00a0 It was held at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Before the actual brunch was a lovely indoor-outdoor cocktail hour with the stunning Marina as the backdrop.\u00a0 The food for that portion of the event was simple but perfect.\u00a0 There was a table with cheese and crackers and tons of accoutrements, such as dried pineapple, cranberry-nut bread, and the most delicious candied walnuts I\u2019ve ever tasted!\u00a0 The very amiable wait staff also passed around a couple of easy-yet-creative hors d\u2019oeuvres, with my fave being poached pears filled with goat cheese and topped with one of those wonderful walnuts.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The stunning view from the cocktail party. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

We all perused the fun silent auction items, among which were several theatre tickets, restaurant meals, and stuffed gift baskets.\u00a0 I have a feeling that all of it got claimed before the day was done, so big props to everyone who donated the materials.<\/p>\n

Then the assemblage moved into the banquet room for the main event.\u00a0 While we enjoyed our pretty salads, we were greeted by\u00a0Wise and Healthy Aging\u00a0President and CEO,\u00a0Grace Cheng Braun.\u00a0 (Someone should let the hotel know that they have awful acoustics in that room.\u00a0 But perhaps we could have heard better if the program had not begun while people were still eating their salads.\u00a0 I was sitting pretty close, and could not make out a word amongst the clinking forks.)<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Let me quickly tell you about the fare now, so we won\u2019t be distracted from the real<\/em> purpose of the brunch, which I\u2019ll get to in a minute.\u00a0 The food was all pretty delicious, especially the chocolate-and-fruit cup dessert.\u00a0 The main dish was sea bass, which I\u2019m sure you all know that I don\u2019t eat, but the title of the event inspired me, so I tried it. (Shocking of me to do, I know!)\u00a0 And it was good!\u00a0 My friend told me it was dry, but that\u2019s most likely why I liked it\u2014because it wasn\u2019t \u201cfishy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fred<\/a>

Fred Deni accepting his award, on the right. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

And then we got to the honorees, which is the reason we were all there.\u00a0 First up was my pal, Fred Deni, who was honored with the \u201cCaring For Our Community\u201d award for his continual kindness to seniors.\u00a0(And everyone he comes in contact with, actually!) Ever since I\u2019ve known Fred and his business-and-life partner Jim Christel, (a guy who just does not age,) they give up their own Thanksgiving to host a meal at Back on Broadway for strangers who might otherwise be alone on that holiday.\u00a0 Back in the day, when I used to be one of the very many volunteers for that luncheon, (they let me be the hostess, and I tried to introduce people, so they wouldn\u2019t have to eat alone,) the meal was for the homeless. But in more recent years, it\u2019s been for seniors. (Some other entity in Santa Monica now hosts the homeless, so instead of Fred just thinking his job was done, being the good person he is, he came up with another underserved population to host. What a guy!)<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)<\/a>

(L-R) Grace Cheng Braun, Fred Deni, and Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer. Photo courtesy of Wise and Healthy Aging.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fred was introduced by Santa Monica Mayor, Ted Winterer, and gave a wonderful, concise, humble, and entertaining speech (which I<\/em> didn\u2019t even write for him! But I think you already knew that when I said it was \u201cconcise!\u201d) And he received an immediate, and heartfelt, standing ovation from the crowd.<\/p>\n

Then came a really wonderful, emotional story.\u00a0 Santa Monica laundromat owner Stan Fox\u00a0has allowed a homeless woman,\u00a0to live<\/em> in his place of business, for many years! That story is told in the documentary, Queen Mimi<\/em>, produced by Yaniv Rokah, who received the \u201cCompassion in Caring\u201d award along with Stan. I\u2019m so glad that Yaniv shared this quote from Mimi herself in his acceptance speech:\u00a0 \u201cYesterday\u2019s gone; leave it there.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m really going to try to implement that philosophy in my own life, (except when \u201cyesterday\u201d was a good one, of course!) I think we all loved seeing Mimi at the luncheon, looking fabulous, I might add! That whole portion of the presentation was really touching to witness.<\/p>\n

\"Queen<\/a>

Queen Mimi, on the right. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Then the \u201cExcellence In Service\u201d award was bestowed upon Sheila Segal, who counsels her fellow seniors at Wise and Healthy Aging. In her speech, she mentioned that she and her team run a workshop to help people de-clutter.\u00a0 If they were to try to assist me<\/em>, they\u2019d have to send their whole crew to my house!\u00a0 Sheila said that the way they work is to help\u00a0identify the \u201cpsychological reasons\u201d that people want to hold on to their memories.\u00a0 I<\/em> can tell you that one\u2014it\u2019s because we\u2019re hoarders!\u00a0 Duh.\u00a0 But seriously, every time I get rid of something, I need it literally the next day.\u00a0 (I still haven\u2019t gotten over giving away a \u201950s-style cardigan a long time ago, only to go to one of the last drive-ins in LA\u2014in a\u00a0convertible<\/em>\u2014the very next night! Thank goodness I still had on old bowling shirt for the occasion!)<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

The final award, \u201cLeadership In Caring,\u201d went to doctor brothers Daoshing Ni and Mao Shing Ni, who, among other endeavors, run a geriatric acupuncture clinic. I always admire siblings who work together peacefully. And for so long! Sadly for me, I can\u2019t even imagine what that would be like.<\/p>\n

The afternoon concluded with a half dozen senior women doing tai chi. That part would have been better if they had asked the attendees<\/em> to stand and join in. That would have gotten us all up, which we were about to do, anyway, and it would have been a peaceful (and, I suspect, giggle-filled<\/em>) way to send us off.<\/p>\n

But everyone seemed to leave there upbeat and satisfied, even without that bit of physical activity. And I have a feeling that everyone headed out to brunch at Back On The Beach the very next day. At least that\u2019s what they should<\/em> have done!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WISE AND HEALTHY AGING\u2019S CELEBRATION OF CARING Mr. X and I were happy to attend this recent charity brunch to honor one the kindest people I know, our my great friend, Fred Deni, the owner of Santa Monica cafes Back on Broadway and Back On The Beach.\u00a0 We\u2019re always so proud of Fred, for everything<\/p>\n

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