Sold Out Senior Services of Alexandria Gala Shatters $150K Fundraising Goal

The prime players of the evening gather for a group photo before the guests climb the long stairs up to the atrium. Left to right: David Dolton, SSA board chair; Community Leadership Award recipients Donna Shaw and Allen Lomax; Community Service Awardee Gayle Reuter; Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins; Deacon Albert Anderson, Community Service Award recipient; SSA Executive Director Mary Lee Anderson; Beverly Anderson, Community Service Award. Photo: Judith Fogel/Zebra Press

This story was updated Thursday March 26 at 4:15 pm. The final fundraising figure is over $188,000. SSA Executive Director Mary Lee Anderson calls it the most successful Gala ever.

The atrium was humming even before the first wine cork popped on Saturday night as 365 attendees in sequined gowns and tailored tuxedos packed the Westin Alexandria Old Town across the street from the federal courthouse. It was a sublime early spring night for one of the city’s hottest tickets—an event that sold out six days in advance.

The 58th annual SSA Gala was centered on a single goal: raising the critical funds necessary to keep Alexandria’s seniors nourished, connected, and thriving in the city they helped build. By press time, the event had already surged past its $150,000 fundraising goal, with final totals still climbing.

Photo: Stephen Halperson/Tisara Photography

The fact that attendees were particularly dressed up and primed to mingle, dine, and dance was not lost on Mary Lee Anderson, executive director of Senior Services of Alexandria. The next day, exhausted but happy, Anderson reflected on the success. 

“We’ve had so many messages today from people who had a wonderful evening,” Anderson told The Zebra on a Zoom call. “Everything went so smoothly, which is gratifying. It was fun to see so many people looking gorgeous and handsome—people were ready to party!”

While the night was glamorous, SSA’s serious business remained the focus. 365 days a year, the venerable organization acts as a powerhouse of advocacy for the city’s older population.

“No one can dispute that the work we do makes a real difference,” Anderson said. “If you care about older adults in Alexandria, supporting our mission is a no-brainer.”

Ageism in the Office

,During the cocktail hour, The Zebra caught up with Mayor Alyia Gaskins as she made her rounds.

“Older adults over 65 are one of the fastest-growing populations within our city,” the mayor noted. “We are fortunate to have an organization like SSA committed to making sure every resident can age with dignity, independence, and connection.”

However, society often views seniors as strictly retired, overlooking the many who still work. When asked how Alexandria is addressing ageism in the workplace, Gaskins highlighted her participation in a new mayoral program through Harvard University, which will result in a revamped workforce development strategy.

“We’ve been having conversations across the community, and one piece of feedback comes up over and over: more seniors need to work later in life to afford to live in this city,” Gaskins explained. “We are focused on an intentional strategy for older adults to help them navigate the complex web of opportunities, whether that means re-skilling or up-skilling.”

The Mayor emphasized that the goal is to leverage the “tremendous wealth of experience” seniors already possess, pairing them as mentors with small business agencies and local partners. 

New Frontiers in Connection

Anderson also announced that SSA will soon launch a new program called Community Connections. Born from insights gathered through the Meals on Wheels program, the initiative aims to reach vulnerable seniors who are often unaware of available city resources.

“Suddenly, a group of people who didn’t know what they could access is coming together regularly,” Anderson said. “They are gaining a real sense of community and reaching out beyond the confines of their buildings.”

The Heart of the City: 2026 Honorees

The evening’s awards highlighted the diverse ways Alexandrians serve their neighbors. For Gayle Reuter, recipient of the Community Spirit Award, it all started with a simple block party in 1991.

“I was hooked from that first event,” Reuter told The Zebra. “I saw how local businesses wanted to be part of the community, and that has only grown.” A true Del Ray denizen, Reuter is a staple at nearly every local event. “Business owners in Del Ray are doubly invested because they live there, too. They’re raising families and providing jobs for our kids.”

Donna Shaw and Allen Lomax received the Community Leadership Award. Shaw, a healthcare veteran currently with Marquis Health Services, was instrumental in creating Caring Connection, which provides meals to seniors following hospital stays.

“Seniors are a very vulnerable population,” Shaw told Zebra. “A lot of times people look at seniors or skilled nursing, and they don’t like to look because everyone kind of sees the future they don’t want to see, meaning we all grow older. But I love that! I love caring for our elders, the people that came before us. They have fabulous stories. And they can teach all of us so much.”

The evening also honored Deacon Albert Anderson and Beverly Anderson, the husband-wife team who received the Community Service Award for their dedicated contributions to the city’s senior population.

Unless otherwise noted, photos by Lucelle O’Flaherty, Mary Wadland, and Judith Fogel — The Zebra Press