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Retire Center Activities Angel Island Day Trip Retiree Center Activities

Upcoming Events

Spring 2012

Creating Your Legacy Workshop

  • Date: Monday, May 21
  • Time: Estate Planning: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.; Planned Giving: 2:45 – 3:30 p.m.
  • Location: Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, AGR Room

The importance of establishing and updating your estate plan cannot be understated. An estate plan helps to ensure that your property will go to the people or organizations you want it to go to, in the way you want it to, at the times you want it to. It allows for substantial savings when dealing with taxes, court costs and attorneys' fees; and it helps your family and friends avoid the burden of the bureaucracy and financial confusion that often occurs after the death of a loved one. Incorporating charitable planned giving into your estate plan provides additional opportunities for you to create your legacy.

This workshop consists of two presentations, Estate Planning and An Introduction to Planned Giving. You may register to attend either session individually or both sessions described below.

Estate planning

  • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

In this session, we will discuss important estate planning issues, including how to avoid probate, how to avoid or reduce estate taxes, the difference between a will and a trust, and the importance of having an advance healthcare directive and durable power of attorney to protect yourself and your finances. Register to attend the Estate Planning session only or both sessions.

Laura Stodden Parker is an estate planning attorney in Davis, CA. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, and her juris doctorate at Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon. Her goal is to help clients protect their hard-earned assets for family, friends and the charitable organizations they want to benefit. She focuses not only on creating a plan for her clients that is specifically tailored to meeting their needs, but also on educating her clients so that they understand the plans they are executing.

An introduction to planned giving

  • Time: 2:45 – 3:30 p.m.

Imagine how much good could be accomplished if each one of us remembered a favorite charity or cause in our will or estate plan. In this session, we’ll discuss the common planned giving options, their benefits, and how to incorporate them into your estate and financial planning. Register to attend the Introduction to Planned Giving session only or both sessions.

Brian Casey is the Executive Director of Planned Giving at UC Davis. In this role, Brian provides leadership for the Office of Planned Giving with a focus on building a proactive gift planning program.  Over his 17-year career, Brian has served in progressively higher positions of responsibility.  Prior to joining UC Davis, he served in a planned giving role at two land-grant institutions—first at Iowa State University and, most recently, the Pennsylvania State University. Brian’s strength is in building relationships and utilizing planned giving strategies to help donors incorporate their philanthropic passion into their financial and estate planning goals.

UC Davis Arboretum in the spring

Retirees' Arboretum Walk with Warren

  • Date: Wednesday, May 30 (Filled; please call the Retiree Center at (530) 752-5182 to be added to the wait list)
  • Time: 10 a.m. – noon
  • Location: UC Davis Arboretum’s Shields Gazebo, south of the Veterinary Hospital
  • Cost: no cost

Spring is the perfect season for viewing blooming plants in the Ruth Risdon Storer Garden and the Shields white flower garden and for walking among the majestic oak trees nearby. The Ruth Risdon Storer Garden is a Valley-wise garden, featuring flowering perennials and small shrubs that are especially well suited to Central Valley gardens. The Carolee Shields White Flower Garden and Gazebo is a theme garden based on medieval moon-viewing gardens of India and Japan. The Shields Oak Collection features handsome trees, lovely ceramic labels and murals.  Warren Roberts, Arboretum superintendent emeritus, has graciously agreed to lead these walking tours just for UC Davis retirees.

You may park in Lots 50, 54, or 55 (use your RT permit).

It may have rained on the 2011 Steak Bake, but the celebrity chefs kept the fire burning.

Steak Bake

  • Date: Friday, June 8
  • Time: 6 – 9:30 p.m.
  • Location: Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center
  • Cost: $48 per person for UCDEA/UCDRA members and guests; $53 p.p. for non-members/guests
  • Registration must be received by: Friday, May 25

Celebrate the vintage days on the farm while reconnecting with colleagues at this year’s annual Retiree Center Steak Bake. Retirees will serve as our “celebrity” barbecue chefs for the evening, and their grilled steaks will be complemented with side dishes, beverages, desserts, and an optional vegetarian entrée prepared by Sodexo Dining Services.

Download the registration form. The Retiree Center must receive your registration by Friday, May 25.

photo from underground Sacramento tour

2011 retirees Mary Williams (l) and Nenita Santago (r) reconnected with Gloria Alvarad (c), who retired in 2010, at the New Retirees Reception in June 2011.

New Retirees Reception

  • Date: Thursday, June 21
  • Time: 5 – 7 p.m.
  • Location: UC Davis Conference Center Ballrooms
  • Registration online by: Thursday, June 7

All staff and faculty who have retired, or will retire, during the 2011-12 academic year are invited to attend this special celebration honoring their service to UC Davis. Representatives from the Davis and Sacramento campuses will be present to congratulate all new retirees on this significant occasion. Invitations have been mailed to all new retirees. If you did not receive an invitation and retired during this time period, please contact the Retiree Center (contact info in left sidebar).

This event is co-sponsored by the Retiree Center, the UCDEA, UCDRA, and the Office of the Provost.

Summer 2012

Day Trip: Safari West

  • Date: Thursday, August 2
  • Time: 7:45 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Departure: Parking Lot 2 (adjacent to South Parking Structure)
  • Cost: $90 per person for UCDEA/UCDRA members and guests; $100 p.p. for non-members and guests
  • Registration must be received by: Friday, June 29

Nestled on 400 acres in the heart of California’s wine country near Santa Rosa, Safari West is a wildlife preserve that is home for over 400 exotic mammals and birds. We will divide into two groups for a tram tour of the giraffe, antelope, and rhinoceros exhibits and a walking tour through the inner grounds, where we will encounter lemurs, cheetahs, and birds in the open-air aviary. Participants must be able to climb the bus and tram steps. Following the tour we will have a lunch of pasta soup, barbecue chicken, and Caesar salad at the Safari West Café.

The price of this trip includes the guided tour, lunch, bus transportation, and snacks upon boarding the bus. Download the registration form. The Retiree Center must receive your registration by Friday, June 29.

Day Trip: Castello di Amorosa

  • Date: Wednesday, October 3
  • Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Departure: Parking Lot 2 (adjacent to South Parking Structure)
  • Cost: $110 per person for UCDEA/UCDRA members and guests; $125 p.p. for non-members and guests
  • Registration must be received by: Friday, August 31

Castello di Amorosa is a spectacular 13th century Tuscan-style 107-room castle and winery complete with a moat, drawbridge, and defensive towers located in Calistoga. We will enjoy a guided tour of the castle followed by a tasting of premium wines paired with handmade Belgian chocolates. We will then have a lunch of roasted chicken, salmon, or a vegetarian entrée; mashed potatoes; salad; and fruit crisp at the Calistoga Inn Restaurant. After lunch, there will be free time to explore the historic town of Calistoga. Participants must be able to climb the bus steps. While the castle tour is accessible for wheelchairs, much of the path is on cobblestone so it would be a bumpy ride. The walking tour is 30-40 minutes with no rest stops but we will be seated for the tasting.

The price includes the guided tour, lunch, bus transportation, and snacks upon boarding the bus. Download the registration form. The Retiree Center must receive your registration by Friday, August 31.

Day Trip: Beach Blanket Babylon Holiday Show

  • Date: Wednesday, December 5
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
  • Departure: Parking Lot 2 (adjacent to South Parking Structure)
  • Cost: $120 per person for UCDEA/UCDRA members and guests; $135 p.p. for non-members and guests
  • Registration must be received by: Friday, November 2

Beach Blanket Babylon (San Francisco), the longest running musical revue in theatre history, is a zany musical spoof of pop culture with extravagant costumes and hats. Before the show, we will visit the studio of UC Davis Professor Emeritus Gyongy Laki, whose sculptural forms engage subjects of particular concern to her.  After the studio visit, we will enjoy dinner of soup, salad, choice of four entrees (filet of sole, eggplant parmigiana, chicken scaloppine, pork tenderloin), wine/coffee, and spumoni ice cream at Capp’s Corner, an old-school North Beach restaurant.

The price includes the show, appetizers and beverages at Dr. Laki’s studio, dinner, bus transportation, and snacks on the way home. Download the registration form. The Retiree Center must receive your registration by Friday, November 2.

Trip Policies

Policies for all Retiree Center-sponsored trips

Registration—Registration will be accepted in-person or by U.S. mail and must be accompanied by payment in the form of a check. Seats on the bus will be assigned from the front of the bus to the back, in the order payment is received. Exception: those with mobility limitations will be given preference for the front of the bus.

Waivers—upon check-in on the day of the trip, all participants must sign a form stating that they have read and agree to the terms of the trip waiver. The waiver is a standard university waiver of liability, and can be found on the back of the trip registration form. It should be read prior to the day of the trip.

Limits—Each retiree is limited to two tickets—one for him/herself and one for a guest (additional guest tickets may be purchased if tickets are still available one month prior to the trip date).

Mobility/Accessibility—The bus for these trips does not have a wheelchair lift, so participants must be able to climb the steps on and off the bus. Mobility aids can be transported in the storage areas of the bus.

Past Events

The Retiree Center plans approximately one day trip and one social event per quarter in addition to monthly educational presentations during the academic year. For details and links to photos, please proceed to our Past Events page.