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Arts & Entertainment

Artwork and Mimosas to Benefit the Life Enrichment Center

The second annual Aston Gardens Summer Art Festival will benefit the Life Enrichment Center.

On June 18, Aston Gardens at Tampa Bay, located at 12951 W. Linebaugh Avenue, will host a Saturday morning filled with artwork and mimosas to benefit the Life Enrichment Center.

The second annual Aston Gardens Summer Art Fun Festival is equal parts champagne brunch and art festival. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event will not only showcase artwork by seniors from Aston Gardens and the Life Enrichment Center, but also from the general public.

A suggested donation price of $10 buys brunch, interactive art and live entertainment which includes psychic readings and door prizes.

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After discovering that the Life Enrichment Center had been negatively impacted by the economy Beth Leto, director of community relations at Aston Gardens, partnered with the Life Enrichment Center to create an event that celebrated the senior populations that both organizations work with.

“We’ve done a lot of charitable events in the last 10 years,” said Leto. “In that time we’ve raised over $100,000 for different charities.”

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Last year’s event had about 200 participants and raised about $1,000. Leto hopes to double last year’s revenue.  All of the proceeds go to the Life Enrichment Center.

With an operating budget of $115,000, fundraisers are integral to the Life Enrichment Center which offers classes in art, dance, writing and computers for seniors. The art festival is one of three fundraisers that benefit the Life Enrichment Center each year.

“That’s a shoestring budget for all that we do,” said Ronna Metcalf, executive director of the Life Enrichment Center. “We serve over 20,000 people a year, either with programs that we do either outside or inside the center.”

The Life Enrichment Center is primarily funded by grants. Their two largest grants came from Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough Arts Council, but they were cut. The impact caused a 70 percent loss of funding for the center.

Aside from supporting an organization that keeps adults active, Leto said the event showcases the benefits of having an active senior population.

“I hope that we always appreciate the benefits of [seniors] their experience and appreciate what they have to offer us,” said Leto. “Both Life Enrichment and Aston Gardens try to do that.”

For more information about the event, call the LEC at 813-932-0241.

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