Thanks to our friends Christina Angeles and David Temblador, every teen and young adult in our program will receive gifts from their wish lists. The couple hosted their 12^th Annual Holiday Fundraiser, inviting friends, family and colleagues to join them in making the holidays brighter for youth who are often forgotten.

We are honored to be selected for the 4th year as the couple’s teen organization. And this year was a first for our Community Director, April, to attend the festive event, where guests enjoyed tasty appetizers, drinks and live guitar strumming.

This special fundraiser raised more than $7,500 in wish list items, monetary contributions and gift cards for Aging UP’s youth. With the addition of David and Christina’s 2025 pledge and other generous investments, it also raised $10,250 to benefit our overall program!! Truly, the holiday spirit of generosity abounded, and we are beyond grateful.

After the event, Christina graciously organized all the items for a smooth pick up. Then our team and a kind volunteer festively bagged and wrapped the presents for Mentors to deliver to their mentees on behalf of “Friends of Aging UP.”

The bountiful presents will spark joy for our teens and young adults! We are incredibly grateful to Christina, David and their guests for the extraordinary gift of care and generosity.

And we’re seeing it happen! The youth in our program are breaking statistics—graduating high school on time, pursuing college and career pathways, securing employment, and living independently. These outcomes are not accidental; they are the result of intentional mentoring, trauma-informed support, and a community that invests in young people.

When Aging UP first launched, we served ages 13 to 17, with the intent of “aging up” through 24. Thanks to grants from Golden 1 Credit Union and other generous funding, we are proud to have achieved this first milestone. Today, half of our young people are 18 or older.

But our vision is greater. Over the next five years, we aim to triple the number of youth served annually, extend support through age 26, and lay the foundation for securing a dedicated training and recreation center where Mentoring Matches can connect, learn and truly belong.

Please take a moment to hear from our friend, Don, Chief Empowerment Officer at Just in Time for Foster Youth in San Diego, on how much he believes in our mission.

To make the bold move of hiring staff to efficiently lead this next phase, increase the frequency and depth of mentor training, and enhance the quality of support our youth deserve requires reliable, mission-aligned funding.

Here’s where you come in. Join us in making our vision a reality. Your one-time, multi-year or monthly commitment at a level that feels meaningful to you can make it happen. Whether it’s an investment of $25 per month or a one-time gift of $50,000, or any amount in between, every dollar gets us closer to expanding access to mentoring, connection and opportunity! Please click here to read more about our vision and download a pledge commitment form, or you can visit agingup.org/give.

Together, we can empower brighter futures for even more deserving young people in the Sacramento region!

1. Epic Costume Creativity: Teens have a unique advantage when it comes to Halloween costumes. They can dive deep into pop culture, horror movies and their own imaginations to create jaw-dropping costumes. Whether it’s transforming into a beloved movie character, an iconic villain or a clever pun, teens can make Halloween an unforgettable fashion show.
2. Haunted House Adventures: Many places offer haunted houses or haunted attractions during the Halloween season. Grab some friends and prepare for a spine-tingling adventure. The thrill of being spooked and enjoying the mysteries of these places can make for an unforgettable night.
3. Scary Movie Marathon: Halloween is the perfect excuse for a scary movie marathon. Friends can gather with popcorn and cozy blankets to dive into a night of horror classics or newer spooky films. Just be sure to leave the lights off for that eerie ambiance.
4. Pumpkin Carving Parties: Teens can put their artistic skills to the test by organizing pumpkin carving parties. It is a fantastic way to bond with friends while creating unique and imaginative pumpkin designs.
5. Trick-or-Treating with a Twist: Who says trick-or-treating is just for little kids? Teens can have a blast by embarking on a more sophisticated scavenger hunt or by going door-to-door in creative, homemade costumes. Just be sure to respect your neighborhood’s rules and curfew. Make it fun!
6. DIY Halloween Decor: Get your creative juices flowing by crafting your own Halloween decorations. From spooky banners to candlelit jars, decorating can be as much fun as the celebrations themselves.
7. Outdoor Activities: Enjoy the crisp autumn air with outdoor activities like corn mazes, apple picking or nature hikes. Many farms and parks offer Halloween-themed experiences, giving you a chance to enjoy the beauty of fall.
8. Bake Spooky Treats: Whip up some ghoulish goodies in the kitchen. Whether it’s decorating cookies, making creepy cupcakes or dipping caramel apples, baking can be a fun and delicious way to celebrate.
9. Community Volunteering: Share the spirit of Halloween by lending a helping hand at local community events, like handing out candy at a local trunk-or-treat event. Giving back can make your Halloween experience even more fulfilling.

From eerie fun to giving back, Halloween offers plenty of activities for teens to enjoy a safe and spooktacular time. Whether you’re into costume creativity, heart-pounding scares or simply enjoying the atmosphere, you can help teens make the most of this spooky season. Happy Halloween! 

Join us!

Whether you’re an avid golfer or have little to no experience on a golf course, this event is for everyone! It kicks off with happy hour and flows into a fun-filled evening. Additional perks include a delicious BBQ dinner, Topgolf play, onsite golf pros, contests, raffles, networking and so much more.

We will be privileged to welcome Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli as our Guest of Honor.  All this fun and, best of all, event proceeds will connect youth from foster care to mentors and resources to thrive!

Individuals* 21 years and older can register to play or to attend as a spectator (all the event amenities without Topgolf play). Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are also available; please contact Communications Director April for more information at april@agingup.org.

4 – 5 pm                Registration, Happy Hour, Opening Remarks (featuring Supervisor Don Nottoli)
5 – 8 pm                Dinner, Topgolf Play, Prizes and More!

Space is limited and this event is expected to sell out. Attendees must be 21 or older. 

During this sold-out event at Topgolf, guests enjoyed an experience similar to what our teens enjoy during Group meetUPs: a sense of community, a new or unique activity and, of course, fun!

The event kicked off with happy hour, offering guests time to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks and networking while they posed in the photo booth and entered to win fantastic raffles. Sacramento Kings PA Announcer, Fox40 Morning Show co-host and all-around-great-guy Scott Moak served as our event emcee. He brought a perfect combination of energy, personal passion for our mission and laughs to the evening’s festivities. Guests then enjoyed dinner, Topgolf play, dessert and awards.

The best part was that guests could choose an Adventure Flag, featuring a tangible need or unique outing hoped for by a teen, and donate to make it happen. These awesome “Adventure Makers” made 19 adventures possible! The next day, a generous guest donated to ensure every teen in our program had their big adventure funded. These outings will be positive experiences that open worldviews and create lasting memories. Truly, this is what the event was all about.

We are thankful to Adventure Sponsor Hughey Phillips, LLP for generously making this event successful, before it even began. We are also grateful to our Close Game Sponsor Scali Rasmussen along with Fun Sponsors Capitol Advisors, OneSource StopLoss Insurance Marketing and Tidy Revival.

We had incredible volunteers, led by event coordinator Carly Adams of Tidy Revival. They worked with smiles and diligence to ensure guests had a great time and that all aspects of the event ran smoothly. They made it seem like this was not an inaugural event, but one we have held for years.

From happy hour to announcements, to game play, dinner and awards, the event was filled with adventure. We are beyond grateful to Lana Akin Photography for capturing all of the fun.

We can’t wait for next year’s Play to Empower event!