Grab A Bite From Favorite Restaurants And Help Seniors Too

ELFERS - Last year, Consulate Health Care in New Port Richey hosted its first Taste of Autumn event, a showcase of food, fun and live entertainment that raised $2,500 to benefit the CARES Elfers Senior Center.

Consulate's executive director, Sandra Ryczek, said that was only the beginning.

'We hope to beat that total this year,' she said. 'There's a great need in our community for CARES.'

To support the Community Aging & Retirement Services center, which offers activities such as quilting, painting, tai chi, line-dancing, ballroom dancing, and classes in stained glass and violin, Consulate plans an activity of its own - a festival of food and entertainment open to the community.

A Taste of Autumn will feature the offerings of about 15 New Port Richey-area restaurants Wednesday. Participants include: Anthony's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Pit Boss Barbecue, Sonic, Village Inn, Panda Chinese Restaurant, Sioux City Steakhouse, East of Chicago, Quaker Steak, Chick-fil-A, Christo's, Bruschetta Ristorante, and Stadium Restaurant.

'This event always has great food,' said Kay Fusselman, manager of the CARES Elfers Senior Center.

The evening also will feature entertainment, courtesy of the J.W. Mitchell High School Jazz Band, and drawings for gift baskets donated by local businesses.

'We'll offer gift basket items like gift cards and golf packages,' Ryczek said.

Ryczek said her agency supports the CARES Elfers Senior Center because of their common concern for local seniors.

'CARES provides geriatric services, and we provide a skilled nursing facility for senior adults,' she said. 'An event like this is a good outreach for us.'

Although last year's proceeds from A Taste of Autumn funded the purchase of computers for the senior center, this year's event will facilitate a variety of structural repairs at the center, namely planned refurbishments in the men's bathroom and a new floor for the center's computer trailer.

'We have so many plans,' Fusselman said. 'It will just be a matter of what has to be done first.'

Aside from being a fundraiser, Fusselman sees A Taste of Autumn as a unifying and productive event.

'A Taste of Autumn is a great idea,' she said. 'It gets people together.'

A TASTE OF AUTUMN

BACKGROUND: Hosted by Consulate Health Care, A Taste of Autumn will offer a variety of food from local restaurants, as well as live entertainment and drawings.

This year's event will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Consulate Health Care, 8417 Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: This event will benefit the CARES Elfers Senior Center, which provides programs and activities for older adults.

A LITTLE HISTORY: This marks the second Taste of Autumn event in New Port Richey. Last year's event raised $2,500 for the senior center.

WHAT'S NEXT? Organizers hope to make A Taste of Autumn an annual event.

GET INVOLVED: Tickets for A Taste of Autumn are $10 per person and are available at Consulate Health Care, 8417 Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey, and at the CARES Elfers Senior Center, 4136 Barker Drive in Elfers.