This FUNdraiser started with a lively happy hour, including drinks and hors d’oeuvres, networking, perusing fantastic raffle packages and taking pics at the photo station. It also included a delicious BBQ dinner, Topgolf play with an onsite golf pro, contests and more. Of course, the best part was celebrating our mission and hearing from Mentor Michael about his past 4 years of mentoring his mentee, Elijah— now a young adult.

Our special thanks to sponsors: The iFish Group (IFG), Fitness Machine Technicians Sacramento and Northern California, and Capitol Advisors Group, LLC. A huge shoutout to Ann Spade, Team My58, Event Reporter with KCRA/KQCA, for bringing her energy and excitement as our emcee. We also thank Accenture for providing a team of hardworking volunteers, all the local businesses (listed below) who contributed to our raffle packages, along with Sacramento Top10 for highlighting our event.

Proceeds from Play to Empower help connect youth from foster care with supportive mentors, essential resources, and positive experiences so they can thrive as adults. Everyone who attended, whether a player or spectator, those who gave a special donation or purchased an Empower Flag, and those who bought raffle tickets or took part in the wine pull, made an impact that directly empowers the young people we serve.

Thank you again to everyone who attended, supported, and made Play to Empower 2024 such a fantastic event!

Local support thanks to:

90 Plus Wine Club

Alchemy Salon & Spa

Article Consignment Boutique

Asha Urban Baths

Bailarin Cellars Winery & Tasting Room

Camden Spit & Larder

Carvalho Family Winery

Fairytale Town

Heringer Estates Family Vineyards and Winery

Kimmie Candy

Leatherby’s Family Creamery, Elk Grove

Nothing Bundt Cakes, Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Rendez-vous Winery

The Sophia, Home of B Street Theatre

Sacramento Republic FC

Seka Hills Winery

Tipsy Putt, Sacramento

Todd Taylor Wines

Total Wine & More

Trader Joe’s, Elk Grove

Various individual donors: A. Dickinson, J. Domoto, D. Sakazaki, and I. Johnson

It was a blast to have so many people from the Aging UP community together. This year’s Play to Empower was extra special because it included former and current board members and mentors as well as longtime and new supporters and volunteers. It also featured our special guests of honor Mentee Star and Mentor Kristin. They have both been in our program for 5 years — since our beginning — and brought a fun and meaningful element as they spoke about their mentoring relationship.

Play to Empower is a unique fundraiser that allows guests to feel what it’s like to be at a Group meetUP. Our goal is that, just like our teens, guests enjoy a supportive, stigma-free environment where they engage in a fun activity and enjoy tasty food. We’re proud to say this was accomplished!

Topgolf provided the perfect venue to recreate the meetUP vibe. The event was a success before it began thanks to our sponsors IFG (the iFish Group), a Sacramento-based IT consulting firm, Tidy Revival, a decluttering and home organizing company, and Capitol Advisors, LLP, California political consultants in education policy and finance.

The event included happy hour with drinks and hors d’oeuvres, more than 20 raffle baskets, a photo station and a putting challenge. Many guests entered our wine pull thanks to support from 90 Plus Wine Club and took home a surprise bottle of wine.

Guests were also able to purchase Adventures (exciting activities or needed items) that our youth requested. The youth’s requests were displayed on flags that attendees could grab and then donate to make that adventure happen. An anonymous donor matched $5,000 of Adventure funds raised — thank you, Adventure Makers!

Our friend Freddie Silveria of FSA Auctions was the event emcee with our Co-founder April. After brief remarks, guests enjoyed a delicious fajita dinner and 2 hours of Topgolf play and contests. The Closest to the Pin contest winner won 2 tickets to see Jay Leno with dinner at Red Lantern at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. The new Lucky Draw contest was a hit. Guests purchased a card from one playing deck. The suspense built as Freddie pulled a card from a new deck and invited 4 potential winners to the stage. One held the matching card and won lower-level Sacramento Kings tickets and a Mikuni gift card!

We are so grateful to everyone who came out to make this event fun and successful. We extended gratitude to our energetic volunteer team, who made the event possible.

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.