We bring the joy of music to others
I have been so very fortunate. Why? Well I've had lots of Moonlight and Love Songs in my life (the Orange County Register did a feature article and video on 2/9/2013 which is available via the above link).
Even more important, was our discovery of a wonderfully caring organization, Alzheimer's Association Orange County Chapter which is now called Alzheimer's Orange County.
In 2007 my husband, David Hartman and I formed a new club in the village, the Sunshine Performance Club with a defined purpose of providing entertainment for the community by community members and friends and for charity.
In 2008 we produced the first Sunshine Musical Variety show and have continued with two years yearly every since at either Clubhouse 3 (now the Laguna Woods Performing Arts Center) or at Clubhouse 5. Our first designated charity was Saddleback Memorial Medical Center; subsequently we added the Foundation of Laguna Woods Village, Alzheimer's, (first it was Alzheimer's Association and then Alzheimer's Orange County), and Saddleback Kiwanis Foundation.
The January, 2009 show's designated charity was Alzheimer's; after this event, David and I decided, with the help of staff at Alzheimer's Association, to create a club for Alzheimer's within Laguna Woods Village. The purpose of the club was to disseminate information and provide an avenue of help for people who want to know about the diseases that affect the mind and who are looking for resources because they themselves or a member of their family need help. Most recently, the club's focus is on brain health and brain exercises. We changed the club name to Alzheimer's OC in 2015. In May, 2020 the club's name was changed to Fit Brain, which is a better match for the presentations provided at club meetings. The two clubs, Sunshine Performance and Fit Brain are closely related and some of the links go back and forth between the two websites. The link for our weekly shows and for the Walks for Alzheimer's go the Fit Brain web page and the link for Sunshine Performance Club Events. On the Fit Brain web page there's a link to the Sunshine Performance Club page within the Sunshine Charities website.
One of my motivations for choosing Alzheimer's as a designated charity is that my Dad, my Dad's mom and two of his sisters were brought down by this despicable disease. David is lucky; no one in his family has been affected by this disease.
In 2012 I joined a research group at UCI Mind; initially I was diagnosed with MCI. (Mild Cognitive Impairment). No one, including my husband, believes there is any diminution of my abilities. But at that time, the struggle to produce the benefit shows had become a heavy burden for me because of memory loss that I noticed. But in 2014, I had a change of heart -- producing these benefit shows helps to define who I am and as long as I am able, I will continue. Since the original diagnosis, my abilities have improved some, or perhaps I found better ways to handle things thus reducing my stress levels. In 2014 my tests at UCI showed I no longer fit the MCI criteria. The doctors told me I am doing as well if not better than most people in my age bracket. That was wonderful news!
I have a wonderful life; I married at 19 to a lovely man, Lloyd Lutey. I got to enjoy love and romance with him for 43 years before I lost him to liver disease in 2005. Subsequently, I again was very fortunate to find a soulmate in David Hartman. As of 2019, we've shared even fourteen wonderful years; we married in 2008.
I enjoy my role as president and webmaster of this club and the Alzheimer's OC club; I hope I can do it for a very long time and by doing so help to make the world a better place.
Contact information:
Sunshine Lutey
sunshinelutey@gmail.com
949 278-6454
Even more important, was our discovery of a wonderfully caring organization, Alzheimer's Association Orange County Chapter which is now called Alzheimer's Orange County.
In 2007 my husband, David Hartman and I formed a new club in the village, the Sunshine Performance Club with a defined purpose of providing entertainment for the community by community members and friends and for charity.
In 2008 we produced the first Sunshine Musical Variety show and have continued with two years yearly every since at either Clubhouse 3 (now the Laguna Woods Performing Arts Center) or at Clubhouse 5. Our first designated charity was Saddleback Memorial Medical Center; subsequently we added the Foundation of Laguna Woods Village, Alzheimer's, (first it was Alzheimer's Association and then Alzheimer's Orange County), and Saddleback Kiwanis Foundation.
The January, 2009 show's designated charity was Alzheimer's; after this event, David and I decided, with the help of staff at Alzheimer's Association, to create a club for Alzheimer's within Laguna Woods Village. The purpose of the club was to disseminate information and provide an avenue of help for people who want to know about the diseases that affect the mind and who are looking for resources because they themselves or a member of their family need help. Most recently, the club's focus is on brain health and brain exercises. We changed the club name to Alzheimer's OC in 2015. In May, 2020 the club's name was changed to Fit Brain, which is a better match for the presentations provided at club meetings. The two clubs, Sunshine Performance and Fit Brain are closely related and some of the links go back and forth between the two websites. The link for our weekly shows and for the Walks for Alzheimer's go the Fit Brain web page and the link for Sunshine Performance Club Events. On the Fit Brain web page there's a link to the Sunshine Performance Club page within the Sunshine Charities website.
One of my motivations for choosing Alzheimer's as a designated charity is that my Dad, my Dad's mom and two of his sisters were brought down by this despicable disease. David is lucky; no one in his family has been affected by this disease.
In 2012 I joined a research group at UCI Mind; initially I was diagnosed with MCI. (Mild Cognitive Impairment). No one, including my husband, believes there is any diminution of my abilities. But at that time, the struggle to produce the benefit shows had become a heavy burden for me because of memory loss that I noticed. But in 2014, I had a change of heart -- producing these benefit shows helps to define who I am and as long as I am able, I will continue. Since the original diagnosis, my abilities have improved some, or perhaps I found better ways to handle things thus reducing my stress levels. In 2014 my tests at UCI showed I no longer fit the MCI criteria. The doctors told me I am doing as well if not better than most people in my age bracket. That was wonderful news!
I have a wonderful life; I married at 19 to a lovely man, Lloyd Lutey. I got to enjoy love and romance with him for 43 years before I lost him to liver disease in 2005. Subsequently, I again was very fortunate to find a soulmate in David Hartman. As of 2019, we've shared even fourteen wonderful years; we married in 2008.
I enjoy my role as president and webmaster of this club and the Alzheimer's OC club; I hope I can do it for a very long time and by doing so help to make the world a better place.
Contact information:
Sunshine Lutey
sunshinelutey@gmail.com
949 278-6454