Parker County Today December 2016 | Page 9

I t was a case of historic giving when Taylar White, the youngest Bachelorette in Parker County Today history, raised the most money for her charity (Parker County Committee on Aging) in the history of the competition; but she set another record too, in terms of dollars raised. Taylar raised just under $40,000, but she also raised awareness of what the PCCA accomplishes and for whom. DECEMBER 2016 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY “This has been so eye-opening for me,” Taylar said of her experience in the PCT competition Sweet Charity & Bachelorettes. She learned a great deal about life and the reality of living out the “golden years” in America. “Whenever I thought of people going into retirement, I thought everyone had a good retirement,” Taylar said. “As I started working with the Parker County Committee on Aging I found that it’s not like that for everyone.” Taylar realized that the Senior Center is a haven for a lot of Parker County’s treasured seniors. It’s a place where they can go for company, for a nice healthy meal shared with friends and, most importantly, to have fun. PCCA Director Shelly Mowery could not have been more pleased with Taylar as the Bachelorette that was teamed up with the non-profit. “Our seniors loved Taylar,” she said. “Taylar is amazing. I wish all Millennials were like her. She worked really hard for the seniors, mostly because she definitely gets what it is that we do here. It was more than a competition for her. It became her cause. It’s great when you get someone that young, like that, and they understand how important it is, what we do for these seniors. Taylar’s enthusiasm is infectious. It’s very hard to say no to her.” Taylar, who was already a big fan of senior citizens (she’s very close to her great-grandmother, the amazing Mary Kemp), adored the people at the Senior Center and those she met doing Meals on Wheels. “Just going up there every day pushed me to work hard for my goal,” Taylar said. “It changed my outlook. When I’d walk through the door they’d all come up and hug me, some would kiss me on the cheek. They made me really happy. I’m a college student and I get stressedout. Then I’d walk through the doors to the Senior Center and it was like a breath of fresh air and they made me really happy.” Just seeing the seniors gave her motivation to work harder to reach her goal. “I wanted to succeed for them,” she said, “to make it easier for them.” A full-time student at Weatherford College holding down a part-time job, Taylar’s schedule during the competition was challenging. “Every day I did something,” she said. “I’d have an hour between class and work and I’d go to a bank and sell tickets to the event or I’d go to a little boutique and 7