Gather your kids, friends, whoever you would like to have a blast with and head to the New Fairfield Senior Center this Sunday, August 14, noon to 4:00 for their Penny Social. A combination of a silent auction and raffle, the Penny Social entrance fee of $2 includes a card of twenty tickets. Participants then choose to distribute their tickets into the buckets of items they would like to “bid” on. More tickets can be purchased and, of course, your odds will go up depending on the number of tickets you have in preferred buckets. Plus, lunch is available at the Senior Center’s café.

New Fairfield Senior Center’s Director Kathy Hull explained that the available items range from sporting goods and craft kits for kids to accessories and kitchenware for adults. “Kids like to put their tickets in for g ames and toys, but they also love to win something for their parents,” Hull said. From noon to 2:00 participants typically place their bids and from 2:00 to 4:00 the item winners are announced.

In addition to the Penny Social main items, there is also a special raffle/bids available for “Golden Ticket” items. The Golden Ticket prizes are donations from local businesses, including gift cards that range in value from $25 to over $200. Separate Golden Tickets will be sold at $2/ticket or 3 tickets for $5.

The Friends of the New Fairfield Senior Center, an organization dedicated to supporting the Senior Center, is ecstatic to be revivin g this annual fundraiser; the Penny Social, now in its eleventh year, was sidelined in recent years due to the pandemic. The group has supplied ten computers and software for the Senior Center, plus much of the furniture was gifted by this group, including sixteen comfortable, new armchairs that they recently purchased for movie watching. The group also funds the annual Mother/Daughter Tea and subsidizes a monthly Men’s Breakfast, chair massages, trips, and holiday parties.

Hull also mentioned that Preserve New Fairfield is giving tours of the historic homes behind the Senior Center during the Penny Social, so this is a great opportunity to learn more about the town’s history as well.

Visit the New Fairfield Senior Center’s Penny Social this Sunday, August 14, noon to 4:00.

By Sarah Opdahl