This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/14/2018 07:30 AMIn 2013, Lori Fritzer had just retired and she and her husband Steve had recently moved to Westbrook from their home in Danbury. On their very first night in Westbrook, Lori and Steve attended a show at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook.
“I became absolutely smitten with The Kate,” Lori says. “It’s a very special place, with amazing acoustics and staff...It’s just a very special place.”
Lori became so impressed with The Kate, that by summer 2013 she decided to volunteer there as well.
“Ushering is my primary volunteering activity, but I also work in the boutique at our fundraising events,” Lori says. “I love it.”
In fact, volunteering at The Kate has become a full family affair, since Steve also volunteers to photograph events at The Kate.
One big fundraising event on which Lori is working is the Sunday, March 4 Oscar Party, one of the largest fundraisers that the non-profit Kate puts on all year. Lori is the co-chair of the event, along with Evelyn Gezo. Lori says that the event will feature a red-carpet down which guests can walk and get their pictures taken with celebrities (or at least cardboard cutouts of celebrities). There will also be food and a silent auction, all while the real Oscars are broadcast for the guest.
Lori’s area of concentration with the event is organizing the donations for the silent auction.
“We try to cover every taste and price point,” Lori says.
So far, some of the donated items are tickets and dinner at the Mohegan Sun Casino, as well as tickets to a “lady’s day out” event. Lori says the event has around 200 attendees annually and takes “a lot of work” to pull off. (More information on the upcoming event can be found on The Kate’s website www.katharinehepburntheater.org.)
Lori says her favorite aspect of volunteering at The Kate is “the people, including the volunteers and staff. Everyone is so committed. The Kate has such excellent programs and it gives so much to the community,” Lori says.
Lori is always impressed by the distances some people travel to attend the different events.
“You talk to some of the people and can see it draws from all over, not just locally,” Lori says.
Asked to name a difficult aspect of volunteering at The Kate, Lori is hard-pressed to come up with an answer. “There’s nothing hard about it!” Lori says—adding, with a laugh, “Other than wishing I had more time to work on shows.”
Lori’s interest in volunteering began long before she retired and came to The Kate. Lori volunteered for 10 years with the Danbury Schools and Business Collaborative, a school-based mentoring program providing approximately 280 mentors to students in the Danbury Public Schools as well as Henry Abbott Regional Technical School.
Since moving to Westbrook, Lori has also worked at the polls on election day, checking in voters.
Prior to her retirement, Lori was the vice-president of Cartus, a company that helps corporations with global relocations.
“I had a long and happy career,” Lori says.
When Lori retired in 2013 and was ready to relocate, she and Steve knew they wanted to be near the shoreline, and west of the Connecticut River. Lori grew up in Berlin and her family spent time at the beach at Hammonasset Beach in the summer, and she and Steve had taken weekend getaways in Old Saybrook, so they were familiar with the area. Lori says they are happy with their move to the shoreline.
“I just love living at the shore,” Lori says. “It’s a joy to wake up and smell the salt air.”
Lori says. In addition to their time volunteering at The Kate, Lori says she and Steve enjoy outdoor activities such as taking walks and kayaking.
“My husband and I enjoy the shore very much,” Lori says.
The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center Oscar Party is on Sunday. March 4 starting at 7 p.m. Tickets ($65 for members, $75 for non-members) include a red carpet entry, appetizers, desserts, beverages (cash bar), the Oscars broadcast live on The Kate’s big screen. and a chance to hold a real Oscar. For more information, visit www.katharinehepburntheater.org or call 877-503-1286.