By Rusty Bradshaw
Twitter: @SunCitiesEditor

A packed ballroom at Palmbrook Country Club, 9350 W. Greenway Road, helped Del Webb Sun Cities Museum officials raise funds and celebrate the work of two community organizations.

Through dinner tickets, raffle and silent auction purchases, residents contributed to the museum, 10801 W. Oakmont Drive, during the Sun Cities Historical Society’s fifth gala fundraiser. The event included highlights of the previous year and an overview of what is coming in the future.

In addition, society and museum officials honored the Sun City Posse and the Sheriff’s Posse of Sun City West with the annual community service awards.

Don Tuffs, museum and society board president, told attendees that the museum increased its membership 100% in 2019.

“That is phenomenal growth, and we are looking for another 100% increase this year,” he said.

Last year through a grant from the Del Webb Foundation and community fundraising, museum officials added 150 square feet to the facility for added exhibit space and the house and addition were painted pink, its original color. Mr. Tuffs said more changes in appearance are planned for the future.

“We will return the living room and master bedroom to a 1960s decor,” he explained. “So we’ll be looking for donated items from that decade.”

In addition, enough people remarked on small displays of kicthenware that plans are in the works to replace the kitchen cabinet doors with ones that include plexiglass so visitors can see the interior contents. Again, donated items from the period will be gladly accepted, according to Mr. Tuffs.

Museum officials are also looking at another expansion.

“We hope to have a permanent exhibit in Sun City West,” Mr. Tuffs said.

He added museum officials are in the preliminary stages of organizing a grand re-opening of the Sun City facility in October.

Honorees

The Sun City Posse was created in 1973 and was originally an organization to help county officials in times of disaster. That evolved into helping Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office patrol Sun City.

While Posse officials ended their affiliation with MCSO in 2017, the organization continues to work closely with the sheriff’s office. The Posse has never received funds from MCSO or the county, instead relying on community donations for its funding.

Headquartered at 10861 W. Sunland Drive in a building it owns, the Posse, in addition to regular patrols, offers various programs, including Vacation Watch, Block Watch coordination, welfare checks, RUOK program, assistance to the Elderly Missing Person program and assistance at special events.

The Posse office is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (closing at noon during summer months). Call 623-972-2555.

The Posse in Sun City West was formed shortly after the community construction began. The organization remains affiliated with MCSO, but last year organized a second branch to avoid conflicts with MCSO staffing and training issues.

Like the Sun City Posse, the Sun City West units perform no traditional law enforcement duties, such as traffic stops and arrests, but patrols the community. Both Sun Cities organizations serve as the eyes and ears of MCSO. The Sun City agencies also offer many of the same programs as the Sun City Posse.

The Sun City West posses are headquartered at 20450 W. Stardust Blvd. Call 623-584-5808.