Riverside County, along with the nine cities of the Coachella Valley, is set to host the Senior Inspiration Awards this week. The event will honor 11 senior volunteers who continue to dedicate their time and efforts to community service.
The awards ceremony, expected to draw over 500 attendees, aims to recognize the honorees' contributions and inspire others to engage in community activities. The 33rd Annual Senior Inspiration Awards will take place on Thursday, March 27 at the Fantasy Springs Resort Special Events Center in Indio.
This year's honorees include Linda Blair and Maria Alcala from Riverside County; Antonio Baciu from Cathedral City; Gabriel Hernandez from Coachella; Sally Hedberg from Desert Hot Springs; Ilene Heller from Indian Wells; Gladys Vargas from Indio; Mario Sewell from La Quinta; David MacFarlane from Palm Desert; J.R. Roberts from Palm Springs; and Murray Bryant from Rancho Mirage.
Emmy-winning communicator Brooke Beare and Hernán Quintas, anchor and journalist for Telemundo 15 – KESQ, will emcee the program. "The Senior Inspiration Awards has been going on for 33 years now, and it’s a beautiful event," said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. "Every city is involved and quite a bit of folks show up." He added that staff have been instrumental in advancing the event: "The honorees are 60 years and older... What connects all of them is that they still continue to give back."
Tickets for the event are available through Eventbrite at $45 per person, which includes a meal with options for chicken and salmon or vegan entrees, as well as dessert. Guests can arrive as early as 10 a.m. to enjoy live music by Eevaan Tré and The Show, along with other complimentary activities like caricature art, manicures, and typewriter poetry.
Supervisor Perez hosts the awards alongside the cities of Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage.