A Brief Early History of Our Club

The VIP Seniors Club Rancho Cucamonga was first organized on January 18, 1979, under the sponsorship of the city of Rancho Cucamonga. About 27 people attended the first meeting when Karen Matcham served as Recreation Supervisor and Bill Holly was the original Community Services Director. Therefore, each Thursday, the group met and discussed the growth of the club, played cards and other games, and became acquainted. Several special events were held at the old building, including potluck lunches, an egg throwing contest, and a white elephant sale of donated items. 

In May 1979, the VIP Club moved to the newly dedicated Rancho Cucamonga Neighborhood Center at 9791 Arrow Route. The move was necessay becuae the old Lions Park Building on Baseline Road was scheduled to be torn down and replaced.

As membership grew, so did the number and types of activities. Monthly dances were held, more potluck dinners planned, picnics were scheduled at many of the city parks, and Christmas parties were enjoyed by members. Other activities included a once-a-month birthday cake, club trips, health lectures, and a large garage sale at Jim and Eva Hunts's. Members benefited from new equipment and games purchased from the Office on Aging funds, bingo, card games, horseshoes, special sneakers, and features. Members worked diligently on the club's entry in the city's Second Annual Founder's Day Parade on November 8, 1990, and won a very deserving first place award.

On June 22, 1996, the Rancho Cucamonga Neighborhood Center was officially dedicated as the new Senior Center. All the members and presidents worked long and hard for this very special tribute and we were truly grateful to the City Council for recognizing this true for all the senior citizens of Rancho Cucamonga. 

In January 1999, we celebrated our VIP Club's 20th Anniversary and a party for Clair Norbury's 100th birthday.

As the club membership increased, we became very much involved in the planning and prepreation of the beautiful new James L. Brulte Senior Center and Goldy S. Lewis Community Center located at the corner of Milliken and Baseline Road. The Grand Opening of this magnificent achievement in March 2005 was a landmark event for the VIP Club. We are proud of all our members whose dilligence and hard work brought this about. We will be fovever grateful to the City of Rancho Cucamonga for recognizing the true dedication of our members and the benefits of a diverse population of senior citizens who are happily enjoying their Golden Years.