The Eagle Rock Oktoberfest celebration took place Sept. 19 as a fundraiser for the Solheim Senior Community. According to the Solheim Senior Community website, the celebration was held in the community’s courtyard and featured German food, beer, and live music performed by artist Bavarian Stew.
Tina Antypas, director of development at the Solheim Senior Community, said she helps plan Oktoberfest, which has been happening for more than a decade. Antypas said her favorite part of the event is seeing different parts of the community come together.
“If someone comes to Oktoberfest, has a great evening, meets one of our residents or team members and leaves knowing a little more about Solheim and the older adults who are such an important part of our community, I think we’ve accomplished something very worthwhile,” Antypas said.
Money from tickets, food and drinks at Oktoberfest goes to supporting the Solheim Senior Community, according to Antypas. Antypas said one of the goals of the event is to continue to fulfill the community’s nonprofit mission.
“As a nonprofit senior living community, fundraising helps us do things that directly enhance the lives of the older adults we serve,” Antypas said.
According to Antypas, there is an important distinction between providing basic care and having different programs and activities to help residents continue to live full and abundant lives.
Antypas said local businesses and other community organizations step up to support Solheim Senior Community in many different ways.
“Relationships are reflected at Oktoberfest through sponsorships and participation,” Antypas said.
According to Antypas, this event is a chance to have neighbors helping neighbors and bring people together.
“Senior communities can sometimes unintentionally become separated from the neighborhoods around them. We don’t want that for Solheim,” Antypas said, “We want Solheim to be a resource and a partner in Eagle Rock, not simply a senior community that happens to be located here,”
Natalie Russell, who lives in San Marino, said her favorite parts of the celebration are the live band, the delicious food and drinks and the community.
Russell said she has been coming to Eagle Rock’s Oktoberfest for 10 years, and she first learned about the event through her church. According to Russell, this fundraiser gives people a chance to get to know their neighbors better and to address a real need in the community.
“A fundraiser like this is very important,” Russell said.
Gorden Nelson is from Germany and has lived in the LA area since 1993. Nelson said he has been coming to Eagle Rock’s Oktoberfest for at least eight years, which he said is one of few German events in the community.
“It’s not as crowded as the bars can be,” Nelson said. “It’s a nice time to relax.”
Antypas said that Oktoberfest is an occasion for several generations of people to come together and have fun. According to Antypas, Solheim Senior Community has been in Eagle Rock more than 100 years,
“We began here in 1923 with one house and just a handful of residents, and we have grown into a continuing care senior community serving older adults at many different stages of aging,” Antypas said. “We couldn’t have done that for more than a century without the support of the community around us.”
Contact Emma Williams at ewilliams4@oxy.edu.
