Local Valentine’s Day Matchmaking Event Looking for ‘Golden Girls’
By Carol Tannenhauser
“Senior Women Wanted for Match-Making Event (Upper West Side)”
So read a headline last week on Nextdoor, a neighborhood social networking platform. It sounded like the senior women were going to be matched, but it turns out they are wanted to serve as “judges” — to interview and pair up young singles before a live audience, at a Valentine’s Day event that sounds both hysterical and worthwhile.
Dubbed “The Golden Girls Play Matchmaker,” the event will mark the launch of a new “lifestyle dating app” called Ollo. It will take place on February 14th, at 6 p.m., at The West End Lounge (WEA and 107th Street), and will be hosted by a “known” comedian. Valentine’s Day was chosen not only because it’s a day dedicated to romance, but because it can be hard. “Some people have a very negative feeling about Valentine’s Day, so we wanted to do something kind & caring & give back to our community,” emailed Katya Sapozhnina, lead product marketer for Ollo. All proceeds from the event will go to Goddard Riverside, an Upper West Side social service organization, with many programs for older people.
Richard Ramat, founder of Ollo, explained how the partnership came to be: “I’m uniquely interested in human connections and the long-term detrimental effects of social isolation,” he said. “In no community are those effects more pronounced than among the elderly. So, when we thought about how we could launch our new app and raise awareness for this cause, the idea of doing an event that brought the old and young together on one of the most romantic nights of the year just clicked.”
Ollo asks that people RSVP to the event here. “When they come, brave singles can participate in our matchmaking game & everyone else can watch and cheer them on,” Sapozhnina wrote. “It is meant to be low stakes, fun, and to support a good cause.”
For more information or to volunteer, email katya@letsollo.com.
Great idea! Sounds like a fun event.
I personally like the idea of a matchmaking event FOR golden girls! 👍😅
Me too!
As I commented when I saw this event announced on nextdoor.com: “How about the opposite: JOIN US for a night of raucous fun as our panel of young singles play matchmaker for the night, pairing active, vital “Golden Girls” seniors with active, vital “Golden Men” seniors.” It’s the older women and men who could use a lot more help than the younger ones.
My thoughts, exactly!
Such a fun idea!
Wonder why senior men don’t show up for most matchmaking events?
There are always lots of cool ladies!
Because we are exhausted.
There is something to be said for peace and quiet.
I was squirming when I read this too! I don’t know what Ollo is trying to be and maybe it’s trying to be hip and appear to care for the older generation but instead it produces an event that has ageist undertones. Why should anyone use Ollo?
Exactly my thoughts. None of the speed dating events go above around 50 for women. What about the rest of us who are in our 50’s and 60’s? It’s harder being alone as an older person.
I rarely comment, but this really made me squirm in its ageism. If you want to bring down the barriers between generations, treat them with equal respect. Social isolation and loneliness is real and can have severe health implications for all age groups.
This headline caught my eye but I was quickly disheartened. What a lot of bull that they are doing this to help relieve isolation issues for seniors! A few seniors get to help match up young people – who seem to have no problem hooking up with each other – and then go home alone. I found this offensive and like one of my fellows commenters, I never usually comment. How about the other way around Ollo?? How about matching some Golden Girls and Guys to really help alleviate loneliness and isolation? You just succeeded in making us more invisible. What’s the age limit on your new dating site anyway?
Hi, we appreciate your interest in our upcoming event! Both the app and the event caters to persons of all ages and backgrounds. You must be 18 and older to use the app and you must be 21 and older to attend our Valentine’s Day event. The live-comedy portion at 7:30pm is based on the premise of pairing the wisdom of senior women to help guide inexperienced younger romantics in their journey of love. Outside of the live-comedy portion, we welcome singles of all ages to mingle and connect between 6pm-7:30pm. We hope you join us this Valentine’s Day & find the person you’re looking for.