Upper Susitna seniors celebrate

SUNSHINE -- Those who couldn't skip over to Ireland last Sunday were in luck to find a proper St. Patrick's Eve dinner and a collection of Irish songs at the Upper Susitna Senior Center at Mile 98 of the Parks Highway.

Whether their ancestors were from Ireland or they just wished to be, this event was not to be missed.

It was time to dig out the old green sweater and go out for some great entertainment and a corned beef, cabbage and ham dinner with all the trimmings. The center was packed. Waiters donned green hats and bow ties to serve up a dinner prepared by "Volunteer Chef of the Evening," Dave Sutton and his kitchen crew.

Sandy Shoulders and Shirley Norberg performed a collection of Irish music, featuring the fiddle and Gaelic druma, which provided a high-spirited lilt to the dining atmosphere for the seniors.

Local youth talent, Riley and Kathleen Hogan and Forrest Cook, took turns at some stand-up comedy and the evening was topped off by "Luck O' the Irish" door prizes donated by several area businesses.

The event was coordinated to raise funds for the Upper Susitna Seniors Center. Eighty-three dinners were served and more than $900 was collected at the St. Patrick's Eve event.

Nearly $750 of the money raised will go to provide furnishings for the new senior center, which is currently under construction.

The Upper Susitna Senior Center serves the communities of Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Sunshine and Caswell Lakes.