Serving Our Seniors Magazine July - Sept 2023

Dawn Washington, 54, Lolita Hayes, 64, and Darlene Walk, 67, have graced the cover of Serving Our Seniors Magazine. They will be performing a classic rock concert at Senior Fest 2023, August 11th from 12pm – 1pm at the Erie County Fair. All three ladies have known one another for six years. Each one began their singing debut in a church choir. Although they are all experienced singers, they sang together for the first time at Serving Our Seniors’ Sonny & Cher Show, in April 2023. They were at hit! Dawn Washington is married to William. They have been happily married for 30 years and have six children, Will Jr., Isaiah, Miriam, Emmanuel, Jonathon, Julian; and a dog named Kobe. She is originally from Buffalo, New York. She and her husband, moved to Sandusky 10 years ago with their children. Although proud to be a wife and mother, she is more than that. She is an artist. Not only can Dawn sing, she has a knack for design and expresses this talent making and selling silk flower arrangements. Growing up, her mother loved to listen to Leontyne Price, the first African-American opera singer to achieve international success. As a child, Dawn would sing to imitate her. When she and her family lived in Pennsylvania, her son was taking piano lessons. One day she asked the piano teacher to help her with some music she was singing for the Worship Team. While singing, the piano teacher found Dawn’s vibrato to be remarkable. She encouraged Dawn to find a voice coach and develop her voice. And so she did. When Dawn and her family moved to Sandusky, Jen Babcock became her next voice coach. “Jen helped me gain control of the tremble in my voice. The first time I actually performed opera was at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet in Sandusky. RJ Coleman, from Father’s Heart Church, helped me with vocal lessons when I prepared to sing “Home” at the spring show. Believe it or not, I still get very nervous before I sing.” Today, Dawn’s first love is singing worship/gospel music. However, she enjoys singing other genres, as well. She and Lolita would like to start a band. She is looking for instrumentalists who would enjoy performing with them. If this idea appeals to you, contact Serving Our Seniors (419-624-1856) to express your interest. Leave your name and phone number. We will help you get connected. Lolita Hayes is originally from Dayton, Ohio and spent most of her life growing up and living in Willard, before she moved to Sandusky. On April 4, 2015, on Good Friday, (she remembered the very day) she met her husband-to-be, Tom Hayes, Jr., at the Mon Ami. There was an instant connection. They have been happily married for 6 years. Lolita has three children, Bryson, Trenton, Mariah; two step-children, Taylor and Tommy and she has a Shorkie and an Aussie-doodle. “I love them all.” Local Ladies to Rock the House Down 10