In brief

The Costa Mesa Senior Center will launch its annual fund-raising

campaign today, when honorary campaign chairman Thomas McKernan, the

president and chief executive officer of Automobile Club of Southern

California, will present a donation.

The event will start at 9:30 a.m. at the center, 695 W. 19th St.

The campaign will consist of six fund-raising events spread out over

six months, said Aviva Goelman, executive director of the center. The

center is a nonprofit organization that relies on private donations and

grants from the city.

“We need to raise funds in order to keep the programs and this

facility going for the seniors,” she said. “We want to encourage the

organizations and the community to help my seniors to live happy, healthy

and productive lives. [The senior center] gives them a place to look

forward to coming to every day, and the seniors count on the facility to

be open to them. If I reach my goal, there is so much more we can offer

them than we do right now.”

If it meets its campaign goal of $100,000, Goelman said the center

plans to add such programs as crisis intervention, computer education, a

pen pal program and Latino-oriented activities.