Sun City club focuses on socializing

     Always looking for conversation, the Social Butterflies of Sun City MacDonald Ranch gather monthly for an evening of entertainment and socializing with friends and newcomers, according to Pearl Bottfeld, president of the club.
      "I have always loved getting together with friends to socialize," Bottfeld said. "When my husband Sol and I moved to Sun City MacDonald Ranch, we loved the variety of clubs, and we wanted to be involved in one that provides entertainment and a chance to chat with neighbors and friends."
      Started in January 1998 with 35 members, club meeting attendance has risen to more than 160 participants per month.
      "My board and I try to set up a variety of entertainers," Bottfeld said. "We've had dancers, musicians, singers, karaoke, a ventriloquist and we'll occasionally go to a casino show. We're always interested in exploring new ideas for entertainment."
      Club events, held on the fourth Thursday of the month, are free.
      "We hold raffles at each activity and give away prizes," Bottfeld said. "We use money earned from raffles for refreshments and to pay the entertainers.
      "These activities are what people who move to Sun City MacDonald Ranch are interested in and expect to find. This is a great opportunity to meet new people."
      The Desert Willow Community Center is the home of more than 30 clubs, a workout room, dance studio, swimming pool, spa, horseshoe pits and tennis and boccie courts. Another amenity is the Desert Willow golf course.
      The 564-acre age-restricted community will comprise 2,500 homes at completion.
      Homes are priced from the low $110,000s to the mid-$180,000s, and range from 1,020 to 2,014 square feet.
      A design center assists buyers in selecting options.
      To visit, take Lake Mead Drive to Green Valley Parkway and go south. The sales office is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.