Coachella Valley Cities & Riverside County to Celebrate 11 Inspirational Seniors Tomorrow

INDIO – All nine Coachella Valley cities and the County of Riverside will honor 11 of the community’s active senior volunteers at the 30th annual Senior Inspiration Awards at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 31. After taking place virtually last year, the annual Senior Inspiration Awards program returns as an in-person awards luncheon, which will be held at the Fantasy Springs Resort Special Events Center, Hall A, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. The Senior Inspiration Awards was started 30 years ago by Supervisor Patricia "Corky" Larson and Palm Desert Mayor Jean Benson. Around 550 people attend this major event. "This event recognizes the community’s unsung heroes, individuals 65 years and older whose volunteerism and ongoing work in the community inspire us to be active," said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. "These volunteers are from each of our different cities in the Coachella Valley as well as from unincorporated communities in the Fourth District. We are looking forward to holding our 30th annual Senior Inspiration Awards tomorrow, and to having family members, friends and the community join in recognizing these phenomenal volunteers." This year’s honorees are: Terry Nelson (Cathedral City), Noelia Gonzalez (Coachella), Donna Lozano (Desert Hot Springs), Clive Weightman (Indian Wells), Eugenie Balentine (Indio), Victory Grund (La Quinta), Ricardo Loretta (Palm Desert), Kathleen C. Cohn (Palm Springs), Bunni Benaron (Rancho Mirage) and Sharon Huddleston and Josie Martinez (Riverside County). Biographies of each award recipient are attached. High-resolution photographs are available upon request. Brooke Beare, Director of Communications and Marketing for the City of Indio, and Jeff Stahl of KESQ News Channel 3 will serve as the masters of ceremonies. Tickets are $30 per person, which includes lunch, and will be available for purchase at the door. The Senior Inspiration Awards is hosted by Supervisor Perez and the cities of the Coachella Valley (Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage).