Whether you wax nostalgic about your high school prom or wish you could rewrite history, the Salvation Army wants you to attend a fundraiser for its Golden Diners Nutrition Program. “A Prom for All Generations” welcomes the community to party for a good cause Saturday night, May 17.

The debut dinner-dance event is the brainchild of Barbara Liden of Batavia, community liaison and volunteer coordinator for the Geneva-based Salvation Army Golden Diners.

“Anywhere from 800 to 1,000 people a day are served at congregate sites, deli sites and through home delivery from Yorkville to McHenry,” Liden said. About 500 meals are served each week in the Tri-Cities.

In crafting her first fundraiser for the organization, she said she worked to keep tickets reasonably priced for an evening that includes a buffet dinner, live band and door prizes. A single ticket covers the suggested donation for 10 senior meals.

Helping out is Bob Hoge, whose day job is president of Valley Community Bank, but who moonlights with fellow musicians. He volunteered to sponsor entertainment by his band Variety Express, which will perform rock, country and big-band hits designed to appeal to diverse tastes.

Also supporting the benefit is the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in St. Charles, which is helping provide the venue.

The buffet menu will feature chicken Vesuvio, chef-carved roast beef, garlic mashed potatoes and other side dishes, along with cookies, brownies, coffee and punch, served by Hoffman House Catering.

Liden said the subject of proms arose at the office and sparked the idea of making it the theme of the benefit.

“I never went to my prom and ended up with a dress I never wore,” she said, adding that attire for this multi-generational event can run the gamut from casual to dressy. The only caveat is no blue jeans.

A silent auction and door prizes are planned, and Liden is seeking donated items and services.

Founded in 1974, the Golden Diners program should not be confused with Meals on Wheels, said Liden, who also points out that donations placed in Salvation Army holiday kettles do not go to the meals program. Contributions have to be designated specifically to the Salvation Army Golden Diners Nutrition Program.

The program also relies on grants, some government and United Way funding and donations.

“Everybody is cutting back,” she said of the tough economic times.

In the Tri-Cities, the congregate meal locations offering lunch Monday through Friday are at Riverrain in Batavia and the Salvation Army headquarters in St. Charles. Since December, a deli service is offered Tuesday through Thursday at the Geneva Township Senior Center in Wheeler Park. The first two days offer a hot entree, and Thursdays provide a choice of sandwiches, along with salad bar, soup and dessert. The cost is $3.

Home-delivered meals are offered each weekday, delivered by volunteer drivers, whose ranks Liden would like to see grow.

“They do a wellness check and have time for a few minutes of interaction,” Liden said of the service. “People don’t realize how many volunteers we need. Some do it once a week or once a month or once in a while.”

In St. Charles alone, a pool of about 30 to 35 volunteers currently handles the city’s five routes.

Liden said the average delivery stint is from 60 to 90 minutes, and notes it is popular for couples to team up.

If people would like to volunteer in other capacities, “I always need help here,” Liden said. “I do the newsletter and send out donation letters.”

For Noveline Busse of Geneva, who only leaves her home for doctors’ appointments, receiving the home-delivered lunches has been a highlight of her day for the past year.

“I enjoy people coming in and visiting like they do; they are all very, very nice,” Busse said of the volunteers, who will warm the meals to her liking in her microwave.

Liden knows how important the nutritious meals are to an aging population, and makes sure people are able to receive them even if they can’t cover the suggested donation.

“People getting out of hospitals or rehabilitation centers or nursing homes are the first priority for us,” Liden said. “They’re so grateful they get to stay in their homes.”

If you go

What: “A Prom for All Generations” will be a communitywide, dinner-dance fundraiser for the Salvation Army Golden Diners Nutrition Program for senior citizens, with music by Bob Hoge and his Variety Express band.

Where: The Veterans of Foreign Wars post, 119 N. Third St., St. Charles

When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17. Dinner is served from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by a silent auction from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and dancing from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Info: Tickets cost $27.50 each or $50 per couple. For tickets, call Barbara Liden at (630) 232-6676. A few tickets remain. Donations to the meals program may be sent to Salvation Army Golden Diners, 1031 E. State St., Geneva IL 60134.