Pets for Seniors Fund-Raiser

A leisure time travel show for mature travelers and a chance to see two top attractions are only two of the features of the Pets for Seniors fund-raiser to be held March 12 at the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose in Long Beach.

The show will have exhibits staffed by members of the Senior Travel and Recreation Assn. of California aboard the Queen Mary from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. STRAC members plan many discounts for mature travelers.

In addition to seeing both major attractions for $8--normally it’s a $14.95 admission--the all-day event includes:

Special shows put on by a Chicago senior entertainment group called Acting Up!, which will feature songs, skits and dances touched with nostalgia, plus two celebrity auctions with items donated by, among others, Doris Day and Clint Eastwood. The latter is contributing a shirt and tie he wore in “Bronco Billy.”

There will also be two shows by animal actors of Hollywood, drawings for trips, vacation packages, attraction passes and other items from STRAC members; mimes and strolling musical groups, and an autograph and photo center staffed by entertainment and sports personalities.

The variety acts and auctions, which will have “Gunsmoke’s” Amanda Blake and singer/songwriter Carol Connors as emcees, will take place in several locations at both attractions. So pick up a program early to plan your day.

Pets for Seniors is a nonprofit organization that provides needy seniors with pets and pet-related services. The event will help ensure and enlarge its therapeutic service.

Advance sale tickets are $8 each (plus $1 per order for handling) and can be ordered by sending a stamped, self-addressed large envelope to Specialized Marketing Services, P.O. Box 3809, Laguna Hills, Calif. 92654. Make checks out to Pets for Seniors.

Orders should be in the mail by Wednesday to ensure ticket delivery by March 11. Tickets will also be on sale the day of the event for $10.50 per person--still a saving over the regular admission. Gates open at 10 a.m.

STRAC, one of the sponsors of the event, is helping bring in the nationally known Acting Up! troupe in cooperation with Southwest Airlines and the Quality Inn Airport Hotel.

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Dollar Rent A Car, with its Senior Escape Rate, offers the lowest rental rates for mature travelers--up to 25% off established rates. Other car rental companies offer from 10% to 15% discounts, according to Alice Ward, longtime mature travel pro with Continental Airlines and Universal Studio Tours, and now manager of special sales as Dollar’s senior specialist. She is also past president of STRAC and a member of its board of directors.

“We go as low as $29.95 a day, $109 a week for a basic rental with unlimited mileage,” says Ward, who adds that she constantly checks what competitors are offering. “We also have similar discounts on Dollar’s higher-priced cars and vans.

“The offer is good at more than 500 participating dealers in the continental United States. And I hate that word participating as much as you do, but in New York City and Las Vegas, places with big convention and meeting trade shows, we just cannot guarantee the Senior Escape Rate.”

Ward helped Dollar start its discount program last August when the age restriction was set at 60 years and over. But firm president H. J. Caruso, a senior himself, lowered the minimum age to 55 just this month.

Free membership in Dollar’s senior program also provides a 10% room discount at the 1,000-plus hotels and inns of Quality Inn, Clarion Hotels and Comfort Inns, all nationwide.

Dollar also has more than 1,400 other locations worldwide, many served through a co-op with InterRent rent a car--with agencies in Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“We will be offering the senior discount in Canada soon,” says Ward. “And we are working on Europe and the other destinations.”

For more information on Dollar’s Senior Escape Rate (and some free baggage tags), write to Alice Ward, senior representative, Dollar Rent A Car, 6141 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045, or phone (213) 776-8100.