Pat Buskirk, left, and Deb Nieman clear their boards after a round of bingo. Bingo is one of the many fun activities Kosciusko Senior Services offers.

Text and Photos
By Marissa Sweatland
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Kosciusko Community Senior Services, 800 N. Park Ave., Warsaw, has been on a mission to provide educational, recreational and supportive services to enrich the lives of senior adults in Kosciusko County.

To help supplement funding for its mission, it is hosting a dueling pianos fundraiser event 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Owls Nest, 7389 CR 800N, North Webster. Dueling pianos is a fun, audience participation event. Two pianists duel out while the audience can donate money to change the song or to win a battle.

Past dueling piano battles include college fight songs, dancing the YMCA, and table competitions. To win a battle, you, your song or your table must raise the most amount of money. Dueling pianos is an event that will keep you laughing, clapping, dancing and donating all night long.

The event will include live music, silent auction, live auction and dinner. Although tickets for the event are nearly sold out, KCSS is still looking for donations of auction items.

“Every single penny we raise there is going straight back to helping our community’s seniors. The more funds we have, the more seniors we can help,” David Neff, executive director of KCSS, explained. “Every donation made is tax deductible.”

Examples of auction donations may include restaurant and grocery gift cards, sport memorabilia or vacation vouchers.

This is the first fundraiser KCSS has organized, but Neff hopes to make it an annual event.
“We are one of the few senior centers in the area, so it is imperative that our doors stay open. There is plenty of funding opportunities for children, which is great. However, funding for senior centers is few and far between, that is why fundraising is necessary for us, it allows us to fill the gaps.”

Neff has been the executive director of KCSS for eight years and has loved every single second.

“Every single person that has walked through the front door has left an impact on me,” Neff explained. “And that’s why I do this; so I can hopefully return the favor.”

The nonprofit organization provides over 35,000 mobile meals and 14,000 transportations each year to Kosciusko County seniors. KCSS also partners with REAL Services to provide a balanced, nutritious and delicious lunch Monday through Friday for the seniors at the center.

Besides meals, KCSS plans a full agenda of fun activities seniors can choose to participate in. Bingo is always a crowd favorite, but it also offers exercise classes, dominoes, euchre, sewing, crochet and so much more.

A full monthly calendar can be found by visiting its Facebook page, facebook.com/KoscSeniorServe.

For more information about KCSS, schedule a ride, sign up for Mobile Meals, or to make a donation to the fundraiser, call (574) 267-2012. KCSS is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and 8 am. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.