Council on Aging holds special day for seniors
Dick Cole serenades the crowd at the COA barbeque.
Gwen Hanson, Director of Council on Aging (COA) in Hot Springs, believes doing things socially is the best way to keep a person healthy.
Gwen Hanson, Director of Council on Aging (COA) in Hot Springs, believes doing things socially is the best way to keep a person healthy.
It is with this mentality that the COA decided to host the first annual county-wide senior citizen barbeque last year. The event was such a success that they decided to plan the barbeque annually.
This past Saturday senior citizens from all over the county, from Heron, Plains, Noxon, Thompson Falls and Hot Springs, gathered at the PPL Park in Thompson Falls to enjoy music and a free lunch. The COA raised money through private donations and raffles during the barbeque.
Through the raffles the COA was able to raise enough money to offset the cost of the barbeque and fed over 100 people on Saturday.
"We did the first one last year as it was our 35th anniversary so we did dinner dances at all of the senior centers and ended with a barbeque and the seniors liked it so much so we decided to start doing it annually," said Hanson.
The COA is a nonprofit organization that was formed in the 1970s and assists the seniors in the county in every way possible, from helping them with housekeeping, rest beds, paperwork and transportation.
The barbeque is simply a way to help the senior citizens get out and have a good time with a free meal.
The COA also helps run the senior centers in Thompson Falls, Plains, Heron, Trout Creek and Hot Springs.
Last year, the COA provided around 24,000 meals to senior citizens around the county.
The COA has continuously grown throughout the years offering additional services while helping more people in the county. To manage some of these services and get organized, the COA has plans to launch a Web Site sometime this week that will provide information on the programs offered, menus for the month, a bus schedule and any events taking place. The Web Site is called www.sanderscountycouncilonaging.org.
"We have grown so fast in the last few years that we are trying to catch up so I think the Web Site will be a good way to get the word out," said Hanson.
The COA definitely plans to keep the barbeque going as an annual event for elderly residents of the county to get out and socialize. For more information on the COA's services please call 741-2343.