By Theresa Knapp 

The Friends of Upton Seniors (FUSe) was formed in the fall of 2024. The private non-profit (501(c)(3)) collaborates with the Upton Council on Aging (COA) and the Upton Elder and Social Services (ESS) Department, to raise funds to supplement the ESS budget so more programs and activities can be offered. 

Logo for the Friends of Upton Seniors, a new non-profit group formed to raise funds to supplement the budget of Upton’s Elder and Social Services Department. Image source: Friends of Upton Seniors

“The purpose of the group is to encourage socialization and improve quality of life by providing support for social events, services, and programs at the Upton Community Center,” said founder and current president Steve Rakitin. 

Donations to the group are tax-deductible. 

FUSe has a Board of Directors and members who make an annual $10 donation. Members can attend FUSe monthly meetings and volunteer to help with fundraising events approved by the Board of Directors. FUSe monthly meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (excluding holidays) at the Upton Community Center. 

“We welcome people to join our group and attend our meetings,” said Rakitin, adding that FUSe members do not need to be Upton residents (but board members do). 

Fundraising events being planned for the coming year include selling glossy, framed photos from the recent Senior Soirée, having a table at the fall Heritage Day celebration, and more. 

The group is currently working on a Facebook page. 

“This page will provide news about upcoming fundraising events as well as photos of events such as the first annual Senior Soirée which was attended by over 70 people and was a huge success,” said Rakitin. “The seniors have been talking about this dance for weeks and are already looking forward to next year. We couldn’t have pulled this off without the generous support of the Upton Men’s Club and the Bloomer Girls.” 

For more information about FUSe, email [email protected]. Seniors are also encouraged to stop by the Community Center and check out the amazing events and activities that are happening every weekday.

The Upton Senior Soirée took place on March 28 and was a big success, according to organizers. Friends of Upton Seniors (FUSe) President Steve Rakitin says the event was the idea of Council on Aging member Sue Perry and was well-attended. 

“We had 74 seniors plus volunteers helping with the food. We had hot dogs, sliders, fries, and root beer floats. The music was provided by a DJ and was ‘50s-‘70s-themed, and we even had a vintage jukebox which we used for photos. We also had high school yearbook photos of some of the seniors fishing on the big screen.”