Marie Hatten and Annie Graham among St. Andrew’s awardees
Marie Hatten, age 86, and Annie Graham, age 82, will be among those honored by St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors at its annual Ageless-Remarkable St. Louisans gala to be held Sunday, Nov. 1 in the Chase Park Plaza’s Khorrasan Ballroom.
Hatten is one of the busiest residents at the St. Andrew’s of Jennings retirement community. From handing out rent statements to distributing cold lunches and spending time with her fellow residents, Hatten is committed to lending a hand when and wherever possible and using her energy and cheerfulness to get the job done. When she is not busy helping out, Hatten exercises regularly and attends weekly church services.
Graham is a caregiver with St. Andrew’s Senior Solutions who works hard to help her older adult clients maintain their independence. Her duties include cooking meals, housekeeping and providing much needed companionship to her senior clients who benefit from her compassionate, nurturing spirit.
Presented by St. Andrew’s and Wells Fargo Advisors, the gala will celebrate the commitment, vivacity and generosity of these individuals and their amazing contributions to the St. Louis community.
With varying backgrounds, talents and vitality that would put many 20-, 30- and 40-year-olds to shame, the honorees are defying the stereotypical idea that individuals fall into “restful retirement” as they grow older.
The other 2009 honorees are Ben Abell, Melvin Bahle, John Brightman, Peter Bunce, Fredrick Conrad, Rosemary Davison, Mary Ann Lee, Edwin & Lenore Pepper, Anthony Sansone, Sr., William Schicker, Dr. Egon Schwarz, Sydell Shayer, Marjorie Smith, Jack Strosnider, Dr. William Tao, Earl Walker, George H. Walker III and Alexandra Zaharias.
This group includes a still active ballet teacher, a still working car dealer, the former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, one of St. Louis’ most generous philanthropists, a long-time weatherman for National Public Radio, the founder of one of the area’s most prominent real estate development firms and the chairman of the board of Circus Flora.
“As this event heads into its seventh year, we are honored to recognize another outstanding group of Ageless-Remarkable St. Louisans,” said Mary Alice Ryan, president and CEO of St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors.
“Each year we continue to find more and more individuals whose amazing accomplishments are redefining what it means to grow old, and we applaud them for demonstrating that age is truly nothing more than a number.”
St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors initiated the Ageless-Remarkable St. Louisans concept in 2003 with the introduction of a photo book featuring the first year’s honorees. The program has gained popularity, and its unique approach was recognized with the Innovation of the Year Award in 2004 by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and the 2007 Distinguished Service Award by the Missouri Association of Homes for the Aging.
Ageless-Remarkable St. Louisans is the primary fundraising event for St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors. With government funding for seniors being cut, private fundraising events are critical to meet the needs of at-risk seniors.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. and will include a cocktail hour for guests to mingle with honorees and visit an honoree photo gallery, a dinner and an extraordinary video tribute to the guests of honor.
Tickets for the event are $150 per person, and proceeds benefit the St. Andrew’s Charitable Foundation.Gifts to the foundation support the provision of services to low-income and at-risk seniors in the St. Louis area, as well as the extension of financial aid to residents who have exhausted their resources.
Tickets are available through the St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors by calling (314) 726-0111.