Senior Expo returns to Callaway YMCA

Deirdre Huenneke, licensed massage therapist, gives Larry Leopold, of Auxvasse, a free massage Thursday at the Fulton Medical Clinic's booth during the Senior "Living the Dream" Expo.
Deirdre Huenneke, licensed massage therapist, gives Larry Leopold, of Auxvasse, a free massage Thursday at the Fulton Medical Clinic's booth during the Senior "Living the Dream" Expo.

Team RSVP, 55&GO is putting on the second annual Senior Expo April 11 at the YMCA of Callaway County.

From 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. area seniors are invited to take part in classes, visit with vendors about various products and services for older adults and receive health screenings.

Event organizer Mary Gordon, director of the RSVP program, said there also will be a couple of new features this year, including complementary valet parking to help avoid parking issues that cropped up last year.

Gordon said she is especially excited about the new Leaders Lounge, a quiet area where seniors will have the opportunity to visit one-on-one with civic and political leaders including Fulton Mayor LeRoy Benton, Auxvasse Mayor Kevin Phares and Holts Summit Mayor Lucas Fitzpatrick. Other local leaders expected to attend include Fulton Police Chief Steve Myers, Callaway County Sheriff Dennis Crane, Bruce Hackmann with the Fulton Area Development Corporation, Allen AufderHeide with Callaway Community Hospital and staff members with Sen. Blaine Luetkemeyer's office. State Rep. Jeanie Riddle and State Sen. Jolie Justus also will be in attendance if they are not in session.

"We thought it would be a really good way for them to connect and talk," Gordon said of the decision to create the Leaders Lounge. "People that are 55 and older really like to keep up with what's going on.

"With Medicaid changes, social security and all these other programs seniors depend on facing changes, people want to know what's going on and how it's going to affect them."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.