In September, the Josephine Knopf Senior Center welcomed ticket holders to the "Parade of Talent Show" which was the first talent show of its kind by the Senior Center.

The afternoon was a success, thanks in large part to Inter-Valley Health Plan, a 13,000 member non-profit Medicare Advantage plan that promotes community outreach.

"The show was a huge success," says Bill Brantley, community services coordinator. "Inter Valley Health Plan was a great partner whose support and financial contributions were absolutely vital to the program."

Through Inter-Valley, event coordinators were able to slate the actor Tom Hatten to be the Master of Ceremonies. Hatten has considerable local fame from the KTLA Popeye Show and is known for his roles as a military officer on Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. and the movie Spies Like Us. According to Monica Crow with Inter-Valley Health Plan, "Tom is phenomenal to work with as he adds a personal touch with humor to the event. Many seniors have fond memories of him and we felt he would be the perfect addition to this first time event in Fontana."

She was right. Hatten was a stellar Master of Ceremonies wearing a tuxedo and a big smile; he greeted the audience and smoothly introduced each new act to the stage.

As for the performers, they were top-notch and very enjoyable. Nearly fifty seniors auditioned for the show. In the beginning, most of the acts were singers with a few dancers and pianists. Eventually, the coordinators auditioned a variety of acts to include a baton twirler.

Local favorite and Orville Redenbacher look-a-like, Don McFadden visited the show and handed out popcorn, only to end up having to fend off several adoring fans and autograph seekers. McFadden, who twice beat the real Orville Reddenbacher in two "pick the real Orville Redenbacher" contests, has made a hobby out of impersonating the popcorn magnate.

According to McFadden, the show was a success.

"The talent show was extremely good. The organizers were very lucky to get Tom Hatten as the Master of Ceremony. My daughter used to watch his show and seeing his face sparked a lot of memories."

McFadden dreams of one day representing Reddenbacher, who passed away in 1995, in television commercials. Until then, local organizations like the Josephine Knopf Senior Center will welcome him with open arms, especially to future talent shows.

"We will definitely have more talent shows in the future," says Brantley. "The audience loved this show and we want to take that success and make it bigger next year."

Several hundred free tickets were handed out for the Parade of Talent Show. Transportation was also provided free-of-charge within the City limits, through the Knopf Senior Center's Transportation Program which costs $25.00 per year and runs Monday through Friday for medical appointments and three days a week for Shopping Days.

To find out more about the Parade of Talent Show or other programs available at the Josephine Knopf Senior Center, please call (909) 428-8376. To read about the Inter Valley Health Plan, please visit www.ivhp.com or call (909) 623-6333 or toll free (800) 251-8191. To enroll in the Senior Transportation program, please call (909) 428-8377.