Hazel Staloff
On Friday, July 15, members of the Singles Club enjoyed a special “Getting to Know Each Other” event in the East Room of the MountainView Clubhouse. In addition to our Happy Hour activity staples of drinks and dinner, members were asked to reveal a fact that no one knew about them on a piece of paper. Although these would be signed, the emcee, Walt Mercer, would read the contents without revealing the author, and members would guess the identity of the member who had, for example, sung on the stage of Carnegie Hall at 16, saw the Beatles live, hiked from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon twice, and spent a career in jail (albeit as a member of the sheriff’s department, not as a criminal). After much guessing, authors revealed themselves and, responding to the curiosity of attendees, elaborated on their experiences.
The organizer of the event, Sarah Smith, also arranged for “door prizes” that had been donated by local establishments, including Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts, Bottega Michelangelo, The Gaslight Theater, Licks Ice Cream, Lupe’s, The Madaras Gallery, Pottery Fiesta, Red Lobster, and Wild Wings. Donors’ contributions were so generous that not one guest left empty-handed. One attendee stated that “all had so much fun laughing and sharing stories” and considered it “the best singles event [she’d] attended in [the] six years” she’d been a member. Another guest remarked on the “many new faces,” which gave her the opportunity to sit “next to people I hadn’t talked to before.” She also appreciated it being held “in a separate room with no background noise,” which facilitated the flow of conversation. The event was so well received that we hope to make this an annual occasion.
Upcoming Singles Club events include a dine-around at It’s Greek to Me, a Pizza Party, a presentation by a University of Arizona professor on the myths of health and aging, a trip to the Desert Museum, Thanksgiving dinner at the home of the club president, and our first Christmas party in three years to be held at the SaddleBrooke One clubhouse (as long as COVID cooperates), along with our weekly popular Happy Hour.
The SaddleBrooke Singles Club has experienced a lot of growth recently. Close to 50% of our members have joined in the past year. In addition to forming strong friendships and a support network, a few members have found themselves in a situation they hadn’t expected to occur at this stage of life—a romantic partnership! In fact, of the four couples who formed after first getting to know each other at Happy Hour this year, one is planning a fall wedding. (Caveat: Past performance is no guarantee of future results!)
If you are single and would like to meet other fun and vibrant people, please join us for Happy Hour on Fridays at 4 p.m. During odd months (January, March, etc.), we meet for drinks and dinner at the SaddleBrooke One clubhouse, and during even months (February, April, etc.) at SaddleBrooke TWO in the MountainView Clubhouse. Happy Hour may also be held at The Preserve. As clubhouses may experience temporary closings and/or prior bookings, check first before attending. For more information, contact Hazel Staloff at [email protected].